Merging of the Worlds
by Mixer
Summary: The Mutant Registration Act has been passed and Dumbledore has opened Hogwarts to Xaviers Students, so here come the Mutants...
1. Chapter One

Title: Merging of the Worlds  
  
Author: Mixer  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: OoTP and X2 if you haven't seen or read them  
  
Pairings: Why would I want to spoil it?  
  
Summary: With the passing of the Mutant registration Act the Human world has begun to heat up for Mutants and with there lives in jeopardy they have welcomed Dumbledores offer of Hogwarts as a Safe Haven to the Students of Xavier.  
  
Set After X2, and In Harry's Sixth Year after the events of the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
~*~  
  
The horrors of the past few months shook her to her core, fear petrifying her as yet again he took her face in his hands, the touch of skin to skin was a brief blessing for it changed, veins contorting his face, blood flowing heavily through them as he gritted his malformed and yellowing teeth, as she fought to break free.  
  
Rage at the world that had been so brutal in his up bringing, fear for his people and stronger emotions screamed into her along with the undeniably sweet taste of his power.  
  
The power gave her a pause, it felt almost coppery and as it flowed inside of her the world around began to truly live, not the world of flesh and blood, not the organic world. But the world of iron and metal and magnetic fields, overwhelming to her senses, his pain was drowned out as he was yanked away, the break in contact ceasing the ebb of his power. Not that it mattered, she was already filled to the brim with it, and for a few moments she could fade away into that energy now coursing inside of her, until the beauty of that power too was shattered.  
  
She didn't just remember screaming from the pain, she felt it all anew, the machine she had been locked into drawing on her new found powers, wrenching them from her in a way that went beyond any agony she had ever known, the flitting and whir of the machine as it spun kept her screams from the world as consciousness was stolen from her.  
  
Too new to his powers, she couldn't stop the machine even though by all rights the metal should have now yielded to her will. She felt herself dying, and the knowledge that she dreamt helped her none as her mind flicked between images, through new and old pains. The machine at Ellis Island, the sting of adamantium through her chest, the crashing of the car, but she always came back to the machine.  
  
She could feel the cool chill of sweat on her body, the slight rocking motions as the train began to disembark, and still she could not wake, her fear and pain feeding the dreamscape until it brought her to the climax, and only knowing that in moments she would be free once again allowed her to keep her sanity.  
  
Her mind was reeling as she saw the young mutant head down the street, unaware of the three men trailing him, they beat him to the ground before she could utter a word and in moments those three had become a mob and dozens of men and women crowded the mutant, many with weapons and she was paralysed by it all. Only being freed from her daze as violent explosions, unleashed by several other mutants in an attempt to stop the mob, knocked her from her feet. She felt the horror take her as the calm of the morning street was well and truly shatter and for the first time she realized that the War had truly Begun.  
  
And with that realization, the dreamscape released her and Rogue snapped to consciousness, her eyes blinking the sleep away as she pushed her head from the window where it had been resting, though resting really wasn't the word for it, the nightmare harassed, pain inflicting, agonizing unconsciousness was just too much for her to think so soon after waking, so resting would have to do.  
  
Letting a sigh escape her she was pleased to notice the soft pitter patter of the rain against the window, and while the light chill of the crisp air may have been slightly uncomfortable for most, she was heavily clothed, with every inch of skin covered except for her face, and even that had the slight droop of a hood over it, shielding the upper half of her face.  
  
Which is why she didn't notice the three teens across from her until one of them gave her a bright and cheery hello and almost induced a heart attack.  
  
Rogue's head shot up, her hood flung back a little so that she could lock eyes with the three strangers; vaguely she took in her surroundings while staring directly at the boy across from her. She was in a compartment of some kind, from the rattling and jolting, a train.  
  
The boy across from her was about her own age and had jet black hair, emerald green eyes and his most prominent feature was the lightning bolt scar firmly placed on his forehead, she wasn't sure from him sitting down but he was probable taller then her and the way his clothes were hanging off him skinny to boot.  
  
Her eyes raked over the other two as well, one was a girl and seemed to not notice Rogue existed, being thoroughly engrossed in the magazine in her hands and the other boy was a little chubby and equipped with a round face. He was wearing a black robe with a crest of an H and a lion on it. It was only the crest that finally clicked and allowed her to shake off that last layers of sleep, she was on the Hogwarts Express and on her way to the school of Hogwarts itself, the teenagers across from her being current students at the school.  
  
"Do you mind if we close the window now?" The boy with the scar asked, and on seeing her confused expression explained "Only, it's a little cold in here and when we closed it before you started to shake and seemed to stop when we opened it back up again"  
  
She blinked a couple more times before she could answer, "S-sure, um thanks for leaving it open before. I'm Rogue" and she offered him a gloved hand, which he took.  
  
"Harry, that's Neville" indicating the other boy "And the magazines Luna" he stated before popping up to heave the window shut, at the mention of her name the magazine lowered to reveal slightly widened eyes as if the girl were surprised by something, pale eyebrows and dirty blonde hair that looked as if it could reach her waist line.  
  
She offered a quick "Pleased to meet you"  
  
Before the magazine shot back up to hide her face once more.  
  
Rogue looked back at Harry, and he just gave a sort of half shrug and murmured something about that just being Luna, before fixing her attention back on her, as did Neville.  
  
"So are you a transfer Student? Because I don't think I've ever seen you around before, and I don't think I've ever seen any besides Hermione reading that" Only the flick of his emerald green eyes towards the book slumped beside her indicated what he was talking about.  
  
Rogue felt a small smile slip onto her face as she closed the book and put it back into her bag.  
  
"Um, I guess I'm kind of a new student-" She didn't get to say anymore though, for the door to the compartment was virtually smashed from its hinges in its violent outburst as a fiery red head shot through. She was worried for a moment, about whether the door was still intact and that if the red head didn't slow down he'd burst into flame.  
  
The Red head didn't notice Rogue in his excitement, words tumbling from his mouth in an attempt to say something to Harry, but she doubted if he was having any more luck deciphering what he was saying than she was.  
  
At Harry's motioning he'd just started to slow down and explain when there came a nice loud throat clearing from the door that shut him up. Two girls stood there, a second freckle covered Red Head, and a bushy brunette, both stood with contemptuous looks at the first Red Head, arms crossed in a disapproving matter.  
  
"Really Ron" the Red headed girl said, there was such a resemblance that no one would be able to miss that the two red heads were family.  
  
"Don't you know how to keep a secret?" The brunette picked up.  
  
Rogue noticed both Harry's and Neville's eyes pricked up at the mention of a secret, Harry's mouth was just starting to open, as was the red head Ron's. "No" the brunette cut them off before they could utter a word and she just had to smile at the way all three of the boys faces fell, obviously they were all good friends.  
  
"Aww, come on 'Mione." Ron started and she just shook her head.  
  
"For the moment its Prefect business, Harry will find out when he gets to the school just like everyone else" the brunette finished, and it was obvious from the tone that that was the end of it, and the boys could all see it, Ron's mouth opening weakly before closing again and him slumping down into a seat.  
  
It was only then that they noticed Rogue.  
  
~*~  
  
Ron slumped into the seat, defeated by the power of Hermione's will, and grumbling about it a bit. But in truth he almost always gladly gave into to her, especially when she just happened to be right. Since she actually uses what between her ears, a snide little voice in his mind told him, he just ignored it and turned and was given the fright of his life.  
  
Jumping up and virtually vaulting back to the door at the sudden appearance of the girl that had been next to him, before cursing himself for stupidity. She didn't just bloody appear you idiot! You just didn't notice her before!  
  
Shaking it off he looked back at her, "Er sorry 'bout that, didn't notice you" A weak grin popped onto his face, "Erm, I'm er Ron, Ron Weasely" and he proffered a hand, which she took, slipping it into her own gloved one.  
  
Taking a step back, he took in her appearance, she was fully draped in a sort of green cloak or coat, the hood pulled up over her head, with white gloves lacing down her arms, and a pair of boots on her feet. A few strands of dark reddy brown hair was slipping out from beneath the hood and she had startling green eyes, a few shades off of Harry's and he couldn't help but get hooked on her lips, they were very full and very red compared to the pale shade of her skin.  
  
"Erm, the bossy girl at the door is Hermione and the Red Head is my little sister Ginny"  
  
Harry was the one to give her name "This is Rogue, and she was just telling us about herself when you guys came bundling in"  
  
Ron felt himself flush a brighter shade of red, and was just opening his mouth when Hermione beat him to it, speaking to Rogue. "I'd advise against telling them much right now" and she was wearing the biggest smile he'd ever seen when she said it too, knowing that it must have been killing Harry not to know what was going on.  
  
"Not that we're bigots or anti-, well not that we're anything" She said quickly "I just think it would be better to wait till we got to Hogwarts so that Professor Dumbledore can explain everything"  
  
"Ok" she said before settling back into her seat.  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: What do you think? Worth possibly continuing??? Or scraping now 


	2. Chapter Two

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank You very much Reviewers! Hopefully your questions so far should be answered in this chapter. Oh and if anyone can think of some of the more interesting students I might have missed, your welcome to point them out!  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue watched in fascination as the Students of Hogwarts slipped into their robes, all but one of them bearing a lion on their crests. The non-lion, or non-Gryffindor she thought, must have been a Ravenclaw due to the Raven she was displaying, it was interesting to her the way that they were all broken into different houses according to what some hat read in their minds, and from what she'd read about the sorting process itself, it would be even more interesting to observe.  
  
Shouldering her bag she stood up, straightened her hood, and adjusted her gloves, maybe once she was at the school itself and all the Hogwarts Students knew about her and the other newcomers, she could be a little more relaxed, but until then no one knew of the danger walking among them, that the lightest of touches could throw them into coma's or even kill.  
  
With a slight shake of her head, she thought of what Bobby would say, that she worried too much. And so she followed the others from the train and took her first look at Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry.  
  
It was awe-inspiring; the pure beauty of it left Rogue gaping, the immensity of the lake before her, and then in the distance the castle itself, from the little she could see, it was beautiful. She lost track of everything else until Harry gave her a nudge and she shot him a startled look.  
  
"Pretty as it is, we need to be getting into one of those," he said, flinging a hand out to indicate the horseless carriages, blushing a little she followed him into one with Hermione and Ron, giving the grounds one last, almost lusting, look as a number of pre-teens were escorted down to boats with a very large man.  
  
"That's Hagrid" Hermione said, seeing where she was looking.  
  
"Yeah, he takes the first years across the lake in the boats," Ron continued "trust me, you wouldn't want ta go across in the boats today, its gonna start raining pretty bad soon"  
  
"A little rain never killed anyone" Rogue quoted absent-mindedly, she was shocked as hell when Hermione quoted back.  
  
"Yeah, but a lot can kill you" A big smile on her face "Go Jumanji"  
  
Focusing her attention back on the wizards, she shook her head a little to shake off some of the drizzle that had started to soak through while she'd been standing in awe, as she did she began to wonder how Hermione had seen Jumanji, she didn't think wizards cared much for human entertainment, she didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until Harry replied,  
  
"Some of us are half bloods, we come from Muggle families.and you're definitely not a witch, sooo why are you coming to Hogwarts?"  
  
Rogue just smiled at him, seeing the curiosity re-emerge. She remembered reading about the word muggle in Hogwarts; A History, so she knew that it meant non-magic folk, by that definition she could probable have told him that that was what she was.  
  
By now she was wishing she'd read more of the book than just the first few chapters and resolved to do so when she had some time to herself, so she said simply "I suppose you could call me a, a Muggle, and-" giving Hermione a look "-I don't think you're friend would like me to spoil the surprise"  
  
Harry shot Hermione an irritated look and settled back to sulk for the rest of the trip, the conversation winding down from there.  
  
While Rogue continued to marvel at the sights through the window, she could swear that she had seen a shimmering white movement in the forest some distance from them. The forest itself was dark and gave her the feeling that it was very old and very unforgiving to the unwary.  
  
And finally, after what had seemed an eternity, came the school itself, its large doors that Harry said lead to the Great Hall where the feast would begin, by some measure of luck the carriage she was in pulled up directly in front of those immense doors as they swung open to reveal a large hallway and the vanishing traces of a ghostly figure.  
  
"That was just Nic" Hermione whispered to her "he's one of the ghosts that reside at Hogwarts"  
  
"Yeah" pitched in Ron "He's a good enough dead guy, its Peeves you've gotta watch out for"  
  
"Peeves?"  
  
"A Poltergeist" Rogue jumped at the addition of Neville's voice from behind her "he likes to cause trouble, but come on, or we'll be late for the feast". She was quickly gathering herself and realizing that she had been gaping again and that most of the students had already trailed past her and into the hall.  
  
She followed the tugging of Neville on her sleeve and the two of them caught up to Harry and the others as Ron was making a joke that Neville should probable keep a hold of Rogue or she'd probable be standing in awe of the Great Hall for hours and hold up the feast, feeling herself blush again she braced herself.  
  
.And felt that Ron had been right, the hall was immense in size, candles floated through the air and four massive tables lay up the room, each one draped in different colours, reds and gold's, silvers, greens and others, with another smaller table at the very end of the hall for the teachers, oh and of course no ceiling!  
  
Exposing the hall to the now raging thunderstorms surrounding the castle and its grounds, she agreed with Ron now and felt sorry for the first years coming across the lake, while wondering why the hall and its occupants weren't yet saturated themselves.  
  
Neville grinned at the direction of her gaze and told her about the enchanted roof, but by that time her attention was captivated by the flash of yellow leather she saw between two Hogwarts robes, and with the sight of that, she began to notice more flashes of normal human clothing dotted through out the hall.  
  
And then there was Bobby, clad in denim blue jeans; a loose fitting top and denim jacket sitting besides one of the Prefects Rogue had met earlier, Ginny.  
  
She was hardly aware of her feet moving and him standing to meet her, their arms encircling each other in the frenzy of those that hadn't seen each other in months. She almost kissed him in the frenzy before she began to calm down, she gave him another fierce hug before pushing him back down to were he had been sitting and dropping down beside him, there hands intertwining.  
  
It was rapture to see him again, and she would have loved to spend more time just sitting there with him, but by then most of the students had already found themselves seats, and the hall was beginning to quiet as a bunch of dripping wet young ones had just burst in behind an elderly woman, with a pointed hat and gray hair that looked as if it was held back in a tight bun.  
  
The group stood there for a few moments, dripping and gazing about in awe as she herself had done only minutes earlier, before following the woman to the front of the hall where they took their places in a line, waiting.  
  
Than it clicked for her that the sorting was about to take place and she anxiously looked around to see the old man come out and place a wizened old hat down on a stool. She heard the whispers of mutants through out the hall asking what was going on, but they were quickly shushed.  
  
For the mouth of the Sorting Hat had opened, and its voice had begun.  
  
To All, I Welcome, New And Old Alike,  
  
Witch, Wizard and Blood brethren,  
  
You are all the Same to Me,  
  
I'd look through your head,  
  
And tell you were you ought to be,  
  
To Join Old Rowena's lot,  
  
You should read your books,  
  
And fill your brains,  
  
For that's what Old Ravenclaw respected best,  
  
To Be of loving Hufflepuff,  
  
Be kind,  
  
And caring,  
  
And show no bounds where friendship lies,  
  
She didn't care, and was always ready  
  
To teach the lot  
  
Old Salazar only took the best,  
  
Smart, Cunning, and vicious,  
  
Slytherin Only wanted the purest,  
  
And the best to boot,  
  
He dwelled on dreams of  
  
A Pure blooded World!  
  
Now Gryffindor,  
  
He respected strength,  
  
And bravery did he prize,  
  
Above all the Rest!  
  
He taught any kind that showed  
  
The knack and skill,  
  
So now Wizard and Witch,  
  
Whip me on,  
  
And I'll show you where you belong,  
  
But Brethren I fear, You were not around  
  
When I was near to new,  
  
I could no more sort a Muggle,  
  
Than I could sort you,  
  
So for you I cannot choose,  
  
Choose Yourself and Use your brains!  
  
But Witch and Wizard  
  
Whip me on.  
  
So the Sorting can Go on!  
  
The hall burst into a mild sort of applause for the hat, some people clearly having enjoyed the song, others not so sure. Rogue was wondering whether the Hat had been referring to the Mutants when he said Blood brethren, she had been told it was a sentient hat, but now that fact seemed a reality. If it was calling mutants brethren to wizard kind.she let the thoughts trail off as the Old Woman stepped forward with a roll of parchment.  
  
She cleared her throat and began "For those of you who do not know me I Am Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, and it is time for the Sorting to begin," her voice was slightly shrill "when I call your name, please come and place the Sorting hat upon your head. ADLEY, Emmers"  
  
The hat boomed out "RAVENCLAW" The moment it touched his head  
  
McGonagall went through the list from Adley, Emmers, to Zan, Janie. With the various tables in the hall exploding into applause each time they received a new person to their number. With the final student sorted, and the quieting of the hall the old man who had brought forth the hat, stood again.  
  
Rogue jumped to the conclusion that he must have been the head master due to the seat he had just come from.  
  
He was an old man with a long white beard, a pair of slim spectacles, and very dark green and gray robes, with dashes of gold.  
  
"I am Professor Dumbledore and I would like to welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, new Students and.others.and while I would generally wait until after the feast to address matters. I believe that many of you will not be able to refrain from disturbing the dinner of our guests, in your quest to know why they are here."  
  
He gave a pointed gaze to quite a few of the students with that comment before continuing, Harry being one that he lingered the longest on.  
  
"So I shall explain now, Many of you here come from Muggle homes and families, so you may already be aware of the rising situations in the Muggle World" he let those words sink in, and Rogue could see the word on a dozen faces around her. "And for those of you who do not pay attention to the Muggle world, you may have seen some small articles in the Daily Prophet on the situation"  
  
Rogue was amused to see that maybe half the hall still had blank expressions, until Professor Dumbledore continued that is.  
  
"The Rising situation being the mutation of normal humans, or in more simple words, the Mutant -"  
  
But that was as far as he got before the hall erupted into chaos, witches and wizards that came from the human world, understood first, and many were overcome with expressions of fear. Hypocrites popped into her mind at that.  
  
They were witches and wizards after all! What reason did they have to fear Mutant Kind? They wielded more power than most mutants in their pinkies! She could feel herself flushing, but this time not from embarrassment, she was angry, and so could she see where a number of other mutants.  
  
Though that anger froze in its place when she heard what some of the wizards where shouting, they were even bringing a smile to her face. They were yelling that Dumbledore was having them on, that mutants didn't exist.  
  
That's what she'd thought about witches and wizards until a few weeks ago. At least they hadn't moved from their seats yet, she thought, the violence being restrained to shouts.  
  
Than something more incredibly happened, the hall was plunged into silence and she swore she could have heard a pin drop at the other end of the hall!  
  
And now Dumbledore was continuing as if there had been no interruption "- The Mutant Situation in the muggle world has been peaking for some time now, and our Blood Cousins have been feared and persecuted by Muggles. They have recently lost their one advantage of anonymity and now many flee for their lives."  
  
"With the full Support of the Ministry I have opened the doors of Hogwarts to a school for the Gifted, for the Mutants who have recently lost their home at that school. As you saw when you came in a dozen or two have arrived already, and several came with you aboard the Hogwarts Express"  
  
He gave everyone a few minutes to allow his words to sink in before continuing, not that he needed to, no one would have been able to not be listening as they had lost the ability to be shouting.  
  
"In this time, the Wizarding World needs all of the Allies that it can have, we must also be willing to extend the hand of friendship to all who are willing to aid us in the coming war" he said something else then that Rogue didn't quite hear and their was an audible sound of people breathing again, voices returned the teenagers had broken out into hushed whispers rather then violent shouts.  
  
Rogue looked down at the antique plate set before her on the table to avoid the eyes of so many students turning towards her and the others.  
  
Dumbledores voice rose again "I believe that will do for the moment. Tuck In"  
  
And with his last words, the plates she had been staring at were suddenly filled, it shocked her enough that she jerked back from the table and probable would have fallen if not for Bobby's hands on hers.  
  
"Calm down" he whispered to her "Most people are already helping themselves to food"  
  
She hesitantly looked up, but not at the food, her eyes caught the emerald green ones of Harry across from her, he just smiled. "I'm gonna kill Hermione later"  
  
Relieved to see that he wasn't afraid of the mutants surrounding him, something must have shown on her face  
  
His smile cracked his face more as he worked out her expression, "Everything around here is unusual, give everyone a day or two and the fuss will die down, and no one will care much that your not exactly normal" Something flickered through his eyes with his last remark, but she couldn't decipher it so she let it go.  
  
And at Bobby's example dug into her food as he introduced himself to Harry and the others around them, she noticed he gave his given name, not his real name. Generally it went the other way with mutants, shedding the identities they had been given on discovering who they really were.  
  
But she didn't give it much more thought as the food enflamed her tongue, tantalizing to the senses, it was so rich it took barely more than a few mouthful before she felt bloated. And had to pass on any more, something she greatly regretted as the desserts arrived.  
  
Leaning back into her chair she looked around the room to see just who was there, too many of them had been separated before they could leave for their new haven, and as Dumbledore had said many were still on their way, Rogue assumed that's where the X-men where, out scouting for them. Though she would have felt a little better if one or two of them had been there.  
  
Bobby must have seen what she was doing because he began to point people out, Jubilee in her yellow coat she saw for herself, but he showed her Siryn, Kitty, another half dozen that she couldn't think the names of, and Colossus she spotted as well.  
  
The feast was beginning to wind down, and everyone was quieting once more as Dumbledore stood back up and gave the basic ground rules of the School, and mentioned that the New Students would be having their own classes by their own teachers once those teachers arrived.  
  
"Also, all of the Students from Xavier's School for the Gifted will be welcome to observe and participate in Hogwarts classes, time and abilities permitting, as Professor Xavier has given the same option to all Hogwarts students"  
  
"And finally as there are no dormitories large enough for all the new students together, you will have to divide to the separate houses of Hogwarts for the time being, I am willing to leave it to you discretion as to who will go where, I am sure our students will make you comfortable. Though I would ask that you do not all try to stay together, as I am sure it would be good for you to begin associating with Hogwarts Students as soon as possible"  
  
With that the feast broke up, most of the younger years following Prefects to their common rooms. While a number of mutants looked distinctly uneasy about separating, even more so as no one had seen any of there own teachers, but they did so.  
  
Rogue snagging Jubilee and Bobby with her, she gave a last look over at Kitty but she didn't seem to mind getting separated so much, probable because she was just going to go through the walls to find everyone later anyway.  
  
That thought produced a faint smile and mouthed 'See you later"'  
  
She slipped out of her seat, and along with the other two Mutants followed Harry through a maze of corridors, hallways and passages, Rogue occasionally stopping to gape at the sights, or at the people moving around in the pictures.  
  
Eventually the four reached a portrait of a Fat Lady, and Harry announced that it was the Entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"Lady Mutation" he stated and the portrait swung open, as he explained to the three that each of the Common Rooms was protected by a password that only the students of that house where meant to know.  
  
Rogue noted that the room was draped in the colours of the Gryffindor house and that it was.cozy, there was a roaring fire, portraits, and some small tables around the edge of the room, couches for several people, and some single person ones and fabulous furs crisscrossing the floor.  
  
There were also two spiraling stairwells, she was guessing that the dormitories where divided, and aside from all of that. She saw that there were only four people already in the Common Room, Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Neville, she had the feeling that she and the other two mutants were about to face an inquisition, though probable a nicer one than the Spanish.  
  
Jubilee had no inhibitions about the people already there, tossed off her leather coat and splayed across one of the couches, Bobby did likewise in removing his coat and finding himself a seat, it seemed they'd both been expecting a question session.  
  
Sighing she sat down next to Bobby. Only going as far as brushing back her hood and freeing her hair, even though she could already feel beads of sweat begin to run down her body in the stifling heat.  
  
She felt envious that the others were probable quite comfortable soaking in the heat of the fire to combat the cold of the castles, amplified by the raging storm outside while she had to bake in the heat. Not for her safety, but for theirs.  
  
It was making her a little.disgruntled.  
  
Harry started ranting a little at Hermione for not telling him, after everything they went through last summer about secrets, and she simply countered with. "It was Prefect business at the time" taking on an air of superiority.  
  
"Now be quiet" Hermione shushed him, turning her attention to the three  
  
"So." She started "Your mutants"  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: See, other mutants! *G* I hope you enjoy. And Please review 


	3. Chapter Three

AUTHORS NOTE: Um, I'm not sure how the previous chapter turned out, so if the format is off I apologize. Also As my knowledge of a lot of the Mutants is a little limited, and yes they are a little evasive at the moment, I'm sorry if they're out of character and I also apologize if I'm dragging stuff too much. Oh and another apology for the lameness of the sorting song in the previous chapter.  
  
~*~  
  
"So." She started "Your mutants"  
  
"What gave us away? Was it the whole announcement by the Dumbledore guy down stairs" Jubilee cut in.  
  
Spawning smiles on Rogues and Bobby's faces, as Hermione flushed a deep scarlet. "Um, so, er whats being a mutant like?" Ron asked  
  
Again Jubilee answered first "Whats being a wizard like?" she countered.  
  
Rogue just shook her head at that "Jubilee's just being annoying at the moment, she'll get over it when she relaxes a little"  
  
"Yeah" Bobby pitched in "Try talking to her when some of the others get here. or when she gets some sleep" Jubilee just shot the two of them a scathing look and shut up at Bobby's grin.  
  
"So you asked what its like?" Rogue stated, "It can be wonderful, exciting, sometimes you can feel like the worlds yours, but it can also be terrifying, especially when your mutation starts. You get these powers that you can't stop or control; sometimes powers that are so extreme you become a danger to everyone around you"  
  
She could feel it sliding into her eyes, personal experience and she knew they could see, but it didn't matter. The sooner any misconceptions about what mutants were, where cleared up the better it would be.  
  
"Then there are the people, the normals, that fear us, that hunt and persecute us because we're different, because they're scared of us" she could feel a tear slid down her cheek, and just hoped they'd think it was sweat, "So, that's what its like to be a Mutant"  
  
"You forgot family" Bobby said, though it was in a small voice, his own had been scared of him, his own brother calling the police on them, making them run.  
  
"Yeah, a lot of the time when your family finds out you're a mutant you have to run. They're terrified of you, report you or whatever. And now even if they don't want to they have to" There was an almost malicious smile on Jubilee's face "The Mutant Registration Act, guaranteed to keep all mutants known and traceable. You don't sign up and you get found out, prison, probable some kind of a brand or implant as well"  
  
Everyone but Ron was looking at the three with a bit of shock, speechless; they probable hadn't been expected quite so much.  
  
"But you've got these like wicked powers, don't you? I mean a lot of people would kill to be able to do the stuff you guys can do, sure there are some draw backs, but give it a few years and I bet it'll all die down" he said in one breathless sentence.  
  
This time it was the mutant's turn to be shocked, kill to have our powers? Rogue thought bitterly, If I could, I'd give mine away!  
  
Hermione and Ginny both gave him a vicious elbow in the ribs, but she didn't take much notice of that.  
  
She probable should have used some common sense and let Bobby or Jubilee respond to what he has said, but she couldn't think anymore.  
  
"And how long have wizards been around? A few thousand years maybe? I notice you don't seem to be racing to reveal yourselves? Could it possibly have anything to do with the burnings? The persecutions that have been going on for hundred of years?" she said in one breathless rush of her own "I'm sure the appropriate time just hasn't presented itself", her voice dripped with sarcasm on the last sentence  
  
She barely noticed him murmur an apology before she was trying to apologize herself.  
  
"Oh god, I'm sorry, it's just, just-"  
  
"Just that our powers, our mutations can bring us a lot of grief" Bobby told them, his eyes flicked towards Rogue "None of you have asked why Rogue's wearing her coat, I mean its nicely warm in here for us, but unless your blind you should be able to see that she's boiling"  
  
The Gryffindors were obviously confused by the change of subject, and a little embarrassed that they hadn't noticed Rogue's discomfort.  
  
After a long pause Harry finally asked "Erm, so, ah Rogue, why are you wearing your coat still?"  
  
"Do you have some kind of a disfiguring, er what was it called, um mutation?" Ron interrupted eagerly before she had a chance to say anything, Rogue didn't even realize she'd slipped off one of her gloves until Bobby's hand was gripping her sleeve-covered wrist.  
  
"Erm, I think we should take Ron off to bed before he gets to experience some of your powers up close, don't you Harry?" Neville said giving him a quick nudge, smart boy to catch on to the tension.  
  
"Oh what? Yeah, yeah lets go"  
  
Rogue watched as a protesting Ron was dragged away, once he'd disappeared up the stairs with the other two boys, Hermione and Ginny gave her a nervous look.  
  
"Um, I think maybe we should all get some rest -" Hermione started  
  
"Good idea, we can continue this in the morning" Jubilee interrupted, up on her feet and happily pushing the two girls towards the other spiral stair case, "We'll just stay down here for the night" she said and gave them one final push.  
  
They didn't argue too much, vanishing fairly quickly up the stairs, Jubilee slumping back onto a couch as soon as they were gone.  
  
"Well that got a bit tense, didn't it?" She said light heartedly  
  
Bobby just gave her a look as Rogue slipped her hood back up and lay her head against his chest, letting herself be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his breathing, the feel of his chest rising and falling.  
  
Tucking her legs up beside her, she let her eyes drift shut as Bobby's hand rested on her own head, murmuring that everything would be alright once the wizards got over the initial shock.  
  
Released one final frustrated breath she let her body succumb to its need for sleep, her mind reliving the day and the irritably unimpeded curiosity of the red head.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue dreamed once more of adamantium, tasting it plunge through skin, gasping as it sent shock waves rippling through her, not of pain exactly. She dreamed of her hand touching Logan, his cheek bristling to the touch from lack of shaving.  
  
And in moments it was veined, blood flowing towards her, but more than blood also as those veins stood so far up, she could feel his energy, his strength flowing from him.  
  
His ability to heal infusing her, veins standing out of the skin of her own back as his power flowed there, clotting the blood and knitting the wound shut. From there she flicked to John, stealing his pyrokenetic abilities to stop him.  
  
She could feel her body shuddering as she slept, flicking back and forth between those she had stolen from.the first boy she had ever kissed, Bobby in their brief contact, and as always Magneto.  
  
Not stolen but thrust upon her unwillingly, in a plot that would have ended in her death.  
  
Even as she dreamt she could feel each of them inside of her, memories, emotions, pain, no matter who she took energy from she could always feel their pain and of course the distinct feel of the energy that flowed through each of them. Magneto and Logan in particular, each having kept contact with her skin for longer than they should have.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue jerked awake to a damped fire and light filtering in from the immensely sized windows, the storm of the night before having passed. One or two of the students beginning to descend from their dormitories.  
  
She didn't need to look to see that Bobby was still asleep; she could feel it from the deep rhythm of his breathing. Jubilee on the other hand, was up and about and bouncing around, filled with the almost vibrating energy that she always seemed to possess.  
  
She jerked Rogue up off the seat and was dragging her towards the portrait of the Fat Lady before she was awake enough to work out what was happening  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked  
  
"To breakfast" Jubilee replied smugly  
  
"But what about -"  
  
"Bobby?? Let him catch up when he wakes up! Now come on" she said continuing to drag Rogue out of the common room and into the hallway where two girls already stood, she was relieved to see it wasn't the two from the night before, she didn't quite feel like continue that conversation yet.  
  
Jubilee gave a quick introduction, "Lavender, Parvati" Pointing to each to go with the name  
  
"Now come on!"  
  
Resigned to her fate she managed to get free of Jubilee and followed on her own two legs while the three other girls began to busily chat. Gossips, she thought.  
  
And before she knew it, she and the others had arrived back in the Great Hall, where the ceiling was now proudly displaying a clear, sunny sky. Taking some seats at the Gryffindor table, Rogue only partially paying attention to the three Gossips, some discussion about magically hair and make up, how it saved hours or something like that.  
  
Propped up by one arm she wistfully gazed around the hall, it was still early and despite the fact that classes for the Hogwarts Students started in a few hours most people where still asleep. Or just stumbling out of bed, truthfully if she'd been in an actually bed she probable would have been asleep as well.  
  
"Hey Rogue, earth to Rogue! Come in Rogue!" Rogue started out of her thoughts at the hand waving in front of her.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry, what were you saying?" She asked  
  
Jubilee rolled her eyes and then was just one big smile, "I was saying that Lavender just told me we've got today, maybe even a couple more days off before lessons pick back up for us, as there's still a lot of confusion about our teachers, and mutants still getting here"  
  
She started to turn back to Lavender, than swung back to face Rogue again "Oh, and do you wanna go with Lavender and Parvati to their first lesson? Its something about caring for magical creatures, magicless for the most part so it should be no prob for us, and that Dumbly guy said we could last night"  
  
Rogue just blinked at the onslaught, Bobby would probable be asleep for a few hours yet, and she could always catch up with him at lunch, so she shrugged and said "Why not?"  
  
And so an hour later she found herself descending from the castle down to the school grounds, there was a group of students gathering down to a sort of hut on the edge of the forest. "That it?" She asked, and got a yep from Parvati.  
  
When they got closer she noticed the silver and green snake crest on some of the students uniforms, Lavender answered the question before she could ask it "We share this class with the Slytherins". And from her tone, she really didn't like it either.  
  
"Don't you like Slytherins?" Jubilee asked  
  
They had almost reached the group when Parvati answered "Slytherins in general are what muggles call the bad guys, a lot of them are rotten to the core and go to the dark side when they graduate, that one over there" pointing to a greasy, slicked back, blonde "is Draco Malfoy and he's the worst of them all, even more so since most of the Slytherins treat him like some kind of a God"  
  
"Is that why he's got the two henchmen?" Rogue asked as she noticed the two, very broad, very big teens either side of him.  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle" Lavender said, "No one can really remember whose who, so it doesn't matter if you can't tell which is Crabbe and which is Goyle"  
  
She was getting an eerie sort of feeling from the Blonde and she didn't like it, especially when he started looking at her like he was appraising a piece of potential property, his cool little eyes raking over her.  
  
She liked it even less when he pushed off the post he'd been leaning against and swaggered over her way. Lavender gave him a look of disgust as he reached them and stuck out a hand, for a moment she was wondering whether she was meant to shake it or get down on her knees and kiss it.  
  
"Draco Malfoy" he stated with a cocky self-assuredness  
  
In the end she took his hand, not wanting to be rude "Rogue" she said  
  
He cocked an eyebrow at that, "Just Rogue?"  
  
She nodded, "Um, are you going to let go of my hand?"  
  
For a moment he just looked down at it, as if wondering what he should do with it before letting it go, hesitantly. "Its pretty warm out here for those of us in robes, you've got to be boiling in those" he said indicating her several layer, plus coat, hood and gloves.  
  
He reached in to push back her hood and she jerked away from him, not for the reasons the people around must have thought since they'd burst into laughter, but because she was afraid she'd hurt him.  
  
"I'm-I'm sorry" she stammered quickly, "It's just I-I"  
  
His face contorted with the rage of injured pride, and more dangerous, prejudice "Its just your a stupid little bitch, whose too much of an idiot to see a good thing!! There isn't a word in the wizard or muggle world filthy enough to describe you" he was literally spitting as he raged now, and crippling her composure  
  
"You're worse than any mudblood, at least some kind of wizarding blood runs through their veins, your some kind of a damn muggle trying to pollute the lines by rising above yourself, your disgusting, your-your -"  
  
A lot of people around her were starting to make noise about what Draco was saying and Jubilee's hand were raised dangerously, but she could already feel tears sliding down her cheeks, and lowered her head so he wouldn't see, her mistake, his was trying to force her to meet his eyes again.  
  
Striking a hand out to grip her chin and yank it up to face him, she tried to shake it off but his grip was like iron and he was continuing to fume, unnoticing of the terror in her eyes, she could already feel him, the slight prickle of it beginning, the initial rush.and finally his awareness that something bad was happening.  
  
His skin turned even more of a deathly pale then it had already been and he collapsed to the ground as his knee's gave out under him, trying to suppress the pleasure at the new power flowing through her as fragmented memories shot through her. Looking down at him she thought that he'd been lucky.  
  
He hadn't kept contact very long once it had begun and she was pretty sure that he'd be fine in ten or fifteen minutes, she wasn't so sure about herself though as everyone was wondering what had just happened.  
  
Also as she'd had a rush of his thoughts. he wasn't a good person. And given half the chance he'd get revenge, even though the fault had been his own and not hers.  
  
With confused looks the two henchmen picked him up and carried him back over to the fence where he just huddled against a sneering pug faced girl  
  
Most of the Slytherins stayed out of easy contact with her after that, as did some of the Gryffindors, but Lavender and Parvati just shrugged it off.  
  
The rest of the lesson went well after that though, Harry and his group turned up and just smiled when Lavender gave them a condensed version of what had happened. And when she glanced around for Bobby Harry said he'd migrated up to one of the dorms to continue sleeping, which had just made her smile, typical boys.  
  
Rogue also got to meet the man Hagrid seeing as he taught the lesson, from his size she'd been wondering whether he was a mutant himself until Parvati told her that he was half giant, then said but he was a nice guy and there was no reason to be scared of him. She also got to see something called a Rathputh, a sort of puffy looking mushroom like creature that released spore puffs when threatened, making for a very sleepy victim, allowing the little critter to run and hide.  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: My apologize to any Draco fans who like him to be all-good (I seem to be apologizing a lot!), but I just felt like he'd make a good baddie at the moment. All nice to begin with, but enraged at the smallest sign of rejection. What did you think? Oh and yes I do know that most wizards could just do their little spell and the flames wouldn't bother them, but the mutants don't know that. 


	4. Chapter Four

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you to my reviewers so far!!!! Also my posts will slow down from here, I'll try to have a post up every Monday (Australian Time)  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue slumped beside Harry near the back of the classroom, she wasn't out of shape and she knew that, but still she was breathing a little heavier then usual after the climb back up from the grounds and into the castle. Though it did make her feel better to see that she wasn't the only one.  
  
Quite a few of the people in seats around her were breathing harder then they had been earlier, she also noticed that most of the class was in disorder, some students were speaking in whispers, others loud enough to be heard across the room.  
  
"Too bad we took so long to get here," Harry said to her  
  
"Yeah," Ron pitched in "Its generally good to get seats up front in the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, oh and err, sorry about last night, um if I was a bit rude"  
  
Rogue quickly told him that was all right and got to asking about the DADA lesson.  
  
"Well you see" Harry started "Um, everyone sort of thinks the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is cursed, because we've kind of had a different teacher every year"  
  
"Why?" This from Jubilee who'd turned around to include herself in the conversation  
  
"Well the first guy Quirrell was sort of evil" Harry said  
  
"And the second guy, Lockheart was a stupid git that hexed away his own brain" Ron stated with a brimming smile as he shot a look at Hermione "'Mione there, had a big old crush on 'em, even decorated her time table with love hearts for him"  
  
Hermione was looking down by the time Ron finished but Rogue could still see the tinge of pink in her cheeks.  
  
"Lupin was good though" Ron continued, "We had him in our third year, he was probable the best"  
  
"No probable about it" Harry said "He was the best, but um, it kind of got out at the end of the year that he was a werewolf, not that he was dangerous or anything" he finished quickly.  
  
"Mmm, not most of the time anyway" Hermione added "A potion called Wolfsbane let him keep his mind on full moons so mostly he just stayed in his office, but Wizards are deeply prejudiced" the last was in a darker voice, Rogue was just nodding like she understood most of what they were saying  
  
"Especially when it comes to Hou-" but Hermione didn't get any further than that as anyone within hearing was telling her to shut up, one or two even raising their wands in a half menacing gesture.  
  
Seeing the confusion on the mutants faces, Harry explained "'Mione's obsessed with the liberation of House Elves"  
  
"Yeah, she even started a club or something called Spew" Lavender put in, also having turned around to include herself in the conversation.  
  
By now Hermione was starting to fume "It's not Spew, its S.P.E.W, the Society for Promotion of Elfish Welfare". Rogue didn't know her very well, but even she could see that she was starting to get wound up and would probable start ranting soon if someone didn't head her off.  
  
Fortunately that was when someone decided to make their entrance, banging the door to the room open with quite a degree of force, though when she saw who it was she was changing her thoughts to unfortunately.  
  
While she was glad that he was feeling better, Rogue would have preferred Hermione's rant, his gaze sent shivers over her spine and he obviously wasn't too pleased to see that she'd tagged along to another lesson.  
  
With a sneer he took a seat beside the pug-faced girl up front, his motions seeming to be a signal for the last few Slytherins trailing in to be seated themselves.  
  
Personally she thought he'd over done it a bit with the flourish of his robes as he settled down, but apparently the other Slytherins hadn't, a few of them even had puppy dog eyes while looking at him, infatuated by his mere presence  
  
She had to prod Harry to get him to snap out of his glaring at the back of Draco's head, "Oh, what? Erm, sorry"  
  
"Anyway" he gave Hermione a look to see if she was going to continue to rant, but Draco's entrance seemed to have quieted her "After Lupin left, we had Mad Eye Moody, and while he was a great teacher all up, he turned out to be an impostor working for Voldemort"  
  
The wizards surrounding him flinched at the sound of his name, but Harry just continued, Rogue only having a vague idea of why they feared him so much, and even then it still didn't seem to make much sense to her. He was just someone fighting for a new world order, a world where the Pure Bloods could rain free from the.her trail of thoughts cut off abruptly when she realized that she was now staring at the back of the blondes head.  
  
Those were his thoughts, not hers!  
  
She hadn't even realized what it was that had flowed from him to her in the on rush of his pain and rage, with some effort she managed to focus in on what it was Harry was saying, but she could faintly feel a sort of loathing for him welling up inside of her.  
  
Suppressing it with gritted teeth, she tuned back in.  
  
".Umbridge was the worst by far though"  
  
"She was, without a doubt, the foulest woman on this earth" Hermione shrilled, she seemed to be working herself back up again, but didn't have the time, for the door to the room opened once more, though more like a gentle breeze had pushed it this time.  
  
Rogue noted with interest the way the class snapped to attention, conversations dying mid sentence as the figure entered the room. He himself seemed to be a little shocked by the rapt attention, more surprising was the silence, the sound of a pin striking the ground could have broken it but yet it held firm for moments more.  
  
.Before the sudden explosions that shook the room, she thought they were being attacked until she realized that every Gryffindor in the room had shot up and where cheering for their teacher, she managed to filter out a single word from the chaos.  
  
Lupin.  
  
The Return of the Teacher seemed to have pleased a few of the Slytherins as well, though they were trying to hide it as the majority of their classmates where looking sullen, she was wondering whether that was because they personally disliked him or where simply mimicking Draco.  
  
The haggardly dressed man broke into a smile at the warm welcome he had received and motioned for everyone to take their seats.  
  
Dropping a brief case of sorts beside his desk, he looked at Draco as he spoke. "It seems that in these Coming times the Wizarding World has decided to try and show more acceptance and less prejudice for those that are different" With his last words his eyes crept over to Rogue and Jubilee, Rogue was guessing that was his way of explaining why he was teaching again.  
  
There was a slight twinkle in his eyes as he continued, "Now, I apologise for my tardiness, I was delayed in my arrival by a certain Poltergeist" he was all smiles now.  
  
"Its good to see you all again, and I'm sure it will be a pleasure to get to know the few of you that I haven't met before" Turning his full attention to the mutants now, "Professor Dumbledore said that a few of you might be.observing. the first few days of lessons" he phrased  
  
Rogue was getting an inkling of what was to come from the way that he had said, observing.  
  
Turning his attention back to the class at large he addressed them all "Now I believe we should get started, now while this is not really a matter of Dark Arts, I thought you might all enjoy getting to know a little more about Mutants as a number of them are here at Hogwarts with us, and many of them would make formidable opponents, not to mention that understanding can lead to desensitising yourself to hearsay and propaganda"  
  
"So who can tell me a little something about the history of mutants.maybe how they came to mutate?" he asked  
  
Hermione's hand was the first to shoot up, Rogue kept silent, as she was interested in seeing things from the wizarding view, what they thought. She assumed that was why Jubilee kept quiet as well.though laziness could have been a factor as well.  
  
"Yes Ms Granger?"  
  
"Um, Professor, not a lot is really known about how Muggles began to mutate, and -" shooting the two mutants a nervous look "-from what I understand, mutants themselves don't really know all that much, but um one theory is that they are, er, a sort of genetic evolution from a combination of muggle and wizards genes, sir"  
  
That was one theory Rogue thought, and one that she had only recently heard herself.  
  
"Five points to Gryffindor, Ms Granger is entirely right in the fact that it is still being debated how Mutations began, even Professor Charles Xavier, a leading scientist on Mutation can not say with absolutely certainty how it began"  
  
"Though that point is more out of interest, as it is mute for the time being considering that Mutants are already here, and here to stay" he stated, before continuing.  
  
"Moving on, somebody tell me a little something about mutants, whatever you know. Neville"  
  
Rogue watched in amusement as Neville was broken out of his semi-trance, "Er um, me er Professor? Um, I guess that m-mutants are like u-us, like wizards I mean"  
  
"What do you mean Neville?" The Professor quizzed  
  
"Well, sir, they um, are different from muggles and ah, um they have to hide from the muggle world, b-but they aren't as lucky as we are, being in the, the spot light Sir. As everyone knows they are there" he hesitantly finished, though Professor Lupin just beamed at him.  
  
And was about to say something when Draco jerked up right, a very noticeable movement, especially as he sneered "And as usual Longbottom forgot the biggest thing about Mutantations" he put a lot of emphasize on that word "Their Powers, which is the main reason Muggles fear them, the pathetic fools fear anything that shows itself to be superior"  
  
Lupin looked at him for a moment, "Five points from Slytherin and another ten to Gryffindor for Neville's answer"  
  
"However Mr Malfoy is also quite right, through their mutations mutants possess superior abilities, and often powers that seem like pure fantasy to the Muggle World, and this is what makes them feared and persecuted, but Mr Malfoy" And for the first time since he had entered the room his look darkened a little. "They are not Superior to Muggles."  
  
".Nor are we"  
  
"Now, as much good as I can do explaining things that I myself have no first hand knowledge of, I would like to request one or both of our guests tell a little about their mutations and their experiences as mutants, maybe even if they are feeling generous, a demonstration of their abilities?" he quirked an eyebrow in a way that almost made Rogue laugh, as a hopeful expression came onto his face.  
  
She had the feeling that he himself would most like to see a demonstration.  
  
Smiling she clambered to her feet, followed by Jubilee, and made her way to the front of the classroom, as she passed the Slytherins, she made a little note in her mind to get someone to explain about the whole bigotry, Pure blood thing.  
  
"Sure Professor" Jubilee said with a smile to match his "We'd be happy to." and with an ever widening smile ".talk. a little"  
  
If Rogue was the only one that could hear Jubilee intended to do more then talk, her opinion of the Hogwarts Students was going to drop severely. Looking back over the class she wasn't disappointed, students in the first few rows were looking decidedly nervous. Even Draco looked a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Hi, My names Jubilee and I'm a Mutant" She said proudly like she was at a Mutants Anonymous meeting, a couple of the other students smiled at that, obviously getting the joke. "But how 'bout I skip the whole sad sob story stuff and get to what most of you want to know?" she asked with a broad smile, and a tilt to her head.  
  
"My mutation let's me blow stuff up," she stated simply "there's some kind of technical name, but I can never remember it, and now that I don't have to worry 'bout anti-mutant crowds being a mutant is just plain fun!"  
  
And to demonstrate Rogue watched as Jubilee let a stream of energy fly from her pointed fists, one guess as to the desk and books that were demolished under her demonstration.  
  
Jubilee was still smiling, as she looked back at Professor Lupin, than looking back at the class and the shocked expression of Draco "I can control the amount of energy I use as well so I can destroy something or just knock someone over" A second stream of power was unleashed, striking Draco in the chest and sending him careening from his chair to roll down the row a little.  
  
"Most mutants have to learn some kind of control over time, And so now I give the floor to Rogue"  
  
One last overly large smile and she headed past the still dazed Draco to sit back down next to Lavender, once again the two henchmen had simply picked him up and settled him in a new seat.  
  
Rogue was left standing in front of everyone, and suddenly feeling very nervous. "Well" Lupin began "That was.enlightening to say the least, Mr Malfoy appears to be quite alright, would you like to say something now Rogue?"  
  
She didn't pause to give it much thought, Jubilee made it out to be all fun and games, and maybe for her it was, once she'd learnt to control her abilities anyway. But for Rogue and a lot of others, there was no control, just pain and danger.  
  
"Umm, my mutation is a little more serious than Jubilee's, as Draco found out earlier" she watched as a number of eyes shifted to him and then back to her "My.powers." It felt like a lump was caught in her throat then, and she had to swallow hard to clear it.  
  
"My powers allow me to absorb a persons life force when I touch them, in the case of mutants, and I suppose wizards as well, I absorb their abilities for a short time and, am -"  
  
She would have said more, but at that point the bells went off signalling the end of the lesson and the start of lunch. Having her bag already shouldered she just turned on her heel and walked out, she didn't know why, but it hurt her more than it normally did.  
  
Emotions seemed to be overwhelming her today; the knowledge that she could never touch anyone.was just more frustrating, more painful. It made her want to cry, something she thought she was long past.  
  
Rogue was far enough away from the classroom as soon as the bell went that she merged into a crowd of older students coming out of one of their lessons. She saw the casual brush of fingers, people bumping against each other, skin-to-skin contact.she thought  
  
It stirred pain and a wistfulness in her that caused her to shake her head violently as she slipped through the now very crowded corridors.  
  
~*~  
  
It was half way through lunch when the Golden Trio located Rogue; she was down by the Lake with one of the other mutants, Bobby, Hermione thought. And the two seemed to be deeply involved in a conversation, what with neither of them talking and Rogue playing with some pieces of grass, a full plate of mashed potatoes and gravy sitting beside her.  
  
Rogue's coat lay draped on the ground beside her, Bobby's hand carefully resting on her shoulder, very carefully on the cloth of her top. But as muggle clothing went it was a loose fitting light coloured tank top, no sleeves, and a low neckline, an almost laced up back, leaving a lot of skin bared to the world.  
  
Hermione hadn't really noticed before, but with out the coat and hood on she could see a streak of white in Rogue's hair.  
  
Slipping down beside her, Ron and Harry dropped down in front of her, Harry in a slight crouch.  
  
She obviously hadn't noticed them, and gave a slight jump of surprise. "Are you alright?" Hermione asked  
  
"You were looking a little upset before, and you left the lesson really quickly," Harry said  
  
Rogue looked up at him then, her eyes flicking between the three, blinking away the remnants of tears, finally settling on Harry, "I was just being silly" she said quietly "I should have gotten over this by now"  
  
Hermione noticed Bobby give Rogue an odd look at that, "You might as well just tell them, and your not being silly, you have every right to get upset about it"  
  
"What are you upset about" Hermione questioned, and now Rogues eyes flitted to her, and with a sigh she told them.  
  
"My mutation"  
  
"You suck peoples energy? What's so bad about that, I mean it could be a lot worse couldn't it?" Ron as blunt as usual  
  
Rogue just looked at him and suddenly she was tired of, like she'd reached some critical point where she would either die or get over it. She turned into Bobby, and quick as a snake, pressed her lips against his, it was only the second time they'd kissed, and even knowing what was going to happen he reciprocated, tasting her as it began.  
  
The rush, the sapping, the leeching, veins thrust out from his skin as she revelled in the feel of him; it felt so good to her. And then came the pain, striking her like a wave, but now it was more than demonstration, she could feel something else coming from him, other emotions, other sensations.  
  
Thoughts that made her blush as he broke the contact, gasping as he slipped to the ground like he'd just run a marathon.  
  
"What just happened?" Hermione, questioning till the end.  
  
"My mutation" Rogue said, breathing mist despite the intruding warmth of the day, it was interesting. She'd never realized just how cold Bobby was all of the time, his skin cooler than a normal persons. And the ice inside of him, that was somehow tempered, creating a warm, comfortable person.  
  
Bobby was already, pulling himself back into a seated position.  
  
"I can't touch people," she explained, "When I do, that" indicating Bobby "happens"  
  
Ron was looking sceptical "Bloody hell, you can never touch anyone? I mean can't you like turn it off or something?"  
  
"No. No turning it off, no stopping it, I can never touch anyone, ever" And with that she slipped back into her coat, the chill that she had absorbed insulating her against the days heat.  
  
Standing up, she looked back down at him, "Still think being a mutant would be, how did you say, Bloody brilliant?" as she turned to walk away, she let one hand casually brush his cheek, not long enough to steal any of his precious energy, but long enough for him to get a taste of what touching her would mean.  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry to people that wanted Wolverine as the DADA, but he isn't exactly magical and wouldn't be too good for a lot of lessons. And did anyone think this chapter was too much poor Rogue? Please Review 


	5. Chapter Five

REPOSTED READ PLEASE: For those reviewers who won't more characters the X- men will be in it soon, but if you have anymore suggestions of characters please feel free to give them (Students at Xaviers school for the gifted preferably, or members of the Brotherhood, or if you have any sites with good info on characters please feel free to recommend them.  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: Some violent possibly upsetting (but non-graphic) things are mentioned in the first few paragraphs. Oh and does anyone know roughly how many Hogwarts Students there are? I thought I knew but I guess I was wrong.  
  
To Amy Jackson: Watch and See.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue did her best to shut it out, but the memories she had stolen the day before surged through her, predominately images and emotions, memories from the greasy blonde.  
  
She saw and felt from inside his own skin, the first time he watched a gathering at Malfoy Manor, dozens of men draped in black robes and silvery gray masks crowding around tables that men and women were tied down to, they were screaming and it was sending a shiver through her/the blondes, body as he was forced to endure the watching.  
  
The horror tore through him as muggle women were violated before him, torn down and used till their sanity or bodies broke. As the muggle men had equally cruel and horrific things down to them.  
  
She felt the lash against his body for his actions during that gathering, turning his face away. Year's worth of pain blurred into images unrecognizable to her as she was forced to live parts of his life, pain that forged the blondes mind and body into a replica of its fathers.  
  
And then she felt more then saw his first victim in all matters, it was the freshest, the sharpest of the memories she dreamt, the muggle girl couldn't have been more then fifteen when he followed his fathers will, taking it out on her before casting the deadliest of the unforgivables.  
  
The images flashed away in an instant and left her with a feeling of contentment, joy and anguish for some reason, different emotions flitting through her mind from the red head.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue lay awake blinking in her four-poster bed, a cold sweat still clung to her body, though she couldn't remember all of what she dreamt she remembered enough as time passed. The last of the drowsiness from her waking had long since passed and yet she just continued to lie where she was. The Sixth year girl's dormitory had been expanded through some kind of magical means that Parvati had explained to her the night before, and that was the reason for her luxurious new accommodations.  
  
Though she tried to remember exactly what Parvati had said, it must have slipped her mind during the night, so she gave up on that and turned her attention to dragging herself out of the very comfortable bed that was attempting to lull her back to sleep.  
  
By the time she achieved her goal and was wrapped in her familiar green coat Hermione and Jubilee had begun to stir, she noticed that Parvati and Lavender had already vacated the area, which meant that they'd been up for hours since Rogue hadn't heard or seen them leave.  
  
Sliding from her bed in a far too perky and awake way, Hermione explained,  
  
"Lavender and Parvati have lengthy morning rituals before they can grace the rest of the school with their presence" a slight grimace at the end of her statement indicated her distaste of their beauty routines.  
  
Rogue kind of knew how she felt there, having many times been forced to endure the mind numbingly dull talk of cosmetics, what and how much to use and all the rest of that kind of talk.  
  
She had a feeling that Hermione was far more used to it than she, and it looked as if she might have said something else, but speak of the devil. The two girls in question almost danced into the room, eyes filled with the unbridled expressions Rogue had come to expect from Gossips when they knew something and desperately wanted to start talking.  
  
Jubilee must have recognized the expression herself because she was by the girl's sides in a heartbeat, guiding them out of the room while trading rapid-fire talk. A quick look to Hermione just beginning to dress for the day, and she headed out after them.  
  
By the time she had reached the Common Room the other three girls had already slipped out of Gryffindor Tower and Rogue had lost all chance of catching up with them, getting in the way of a heated discussion about broomsticks; between a couple of fourteen year olds.  
  
Still she hazarded the attempt to find them in the hallways, hoping that they weren't too far away yet, being as it was all of her third day in the massive castle and she was fairly sure that getting lost was a real possibility.  
  
She thought she was doing pretty well until she encountered a shifting stair case that suddenly placed her in a part of the castle that she had yet to enter  
  
Oh great, she thought.  
  
Twenty minutes later she was more thoroughly lost and cursing the school that she had been gaping in awe at only a few days before. Who knew it could all be so confusing, she was desperately wishing she'd waited for Bobby now, so that at least if she were still lost the hallways wouldn't look quite so gloomy.  
  
She found it even more frustrating as she somehow found her way to the dungeons without seeming to move down any slopes or stairs.  
  
Rogue was getting well and truly upset with the castle, and was about ready to admit defeat and just yell for help, hoping that with so many students beginning to emerge from their Common Rooms for breakfast, one of them would find her and guide her some where more recognizable.  
  
"Well, well, well, what do we have here boys"  
  
The voice shot out from behind her, startling her into a jump. Turning to face the speaker, her heart sunk as the day hit a low she hadn't imagined possible before breakfast.  
  
Draco Malfoy stood aggressively before her, arms crossed with a sneer welded to his face and a large henchman to either side of him. All up, an intimidating sight.  
  
"I-I'm lost," She stuttered and gulped  
  
"Really" his eyes peaking a little "So then no one knows your down here" a suggestive smile slipped onto his face as he strutted forward, he was so close that with another inch their noses could have touched.  
  
It would have been more natural for their bodies to be touching, but he managed to maintain just that little bit of distance anyway, obviously not forgetting what had happened the previous day. She suspected this was some type of male macho thing to look tough, but after whimpering on the ground she doubted he would do too well.  
  
He was still looking at her rather suggestively and like he was about to do something that she wouldn't like the result of, she was more scared of him then he had given her cause to be, but the flashes of images she could recall from her dreams continued to leave a cold shiver running down her spine while in his presence.  
  
She didn't want him as an enemy, but she was getting the feeling that she didn't have a choice in the matter anymore. For a moment she stared into the hardened emotionless pools of rock that he called eyes, it probable wouldn't be the best idea to make angry the guy that looked like he was about to do something very bad, but she'd run out of options.  
  
As unconsciously she'd backed into a wall as he stepped ever closer.  
  
His arms beginning to snake out as she pressed herself firmly into the wall.  
  
And than salvation struck. "Is there a problem here Malfoy", the reaction was instantaneous as he jerked back. Rogues own eyes flitting towards her savior, a nice looking girl with long black hair and a Ravenclaw crest on her robe.  
  
She also had three others standing around her, each with a wand casually dangling by their sides, something that Draco Malfoy obviously noticed, just as he must have realized his own, along with his henchman's were tucked away inside their pockets.  
  
With a glare at the Ravenclaws he snarled "No problem" and stormed off in the opposite direction, the lackeys following closely behind.  
  
And she felt she could breathe again.  
  
"I'm Cho," the girl who'd spoken before said  
  
"Rogue" She replied simply, "Thank you, f-for getting rid of him," she stammered  
  
Cho just smiled at her "Your one of the mutants right?" A touch of excitement in her voice as Rogue nodded "Pleasure to meet you, Sorry about Malfoy but ever since the rise of He Who Must Not Be Named, the Slytherins have started to get out of hand, its only the third day of term and two Hufflepuffs and a Gryffindor have already been hospitalized"  
  
With a shake of her head she continued "Anyway you probable shouldn't wonder alone, where you lost?"  
  
Rogue just nodded again.  
  
"Given the time, I'd guess you were trying to get to the Great Hall?" Another nod "We're on our way there now, so we'd be more than happy to show you the way.and answer any questions you might have about Hogwarts so far?"  
  
Rogue didn't get introductions to the other three, and by the time she reached the Great Hall she gathered that groups of people just sort of gathered together when moving from place to place since the first day of term.  
  
Something to do with the rising hostilities and tension flooding the atmosphere from the main body of Slytherins.  
  
She also learned that Cho meant it when she said to ask questions, by the time she separated from the Ravenclaws over to the Gryffindor table her head felt stuffed full of new knowledge.  
  
Specifically about Slytherins, and their Pure Blood Bigotry, she also had an invitation to check out a Ravenclaw training session in a game called Quidditch when it started back up  
  
"Where'd you get to?" Jubilee inquired as Rogue slid into a seat beside her  
  
"The dungeons" she replied "I was trying to catch up with you three and got lost"  
  
"Oh, ok. Well anyway these two" indicating Lavender and Parvati "have um, Potions first up today and they suggested due to the ogierish nature of the teacher, we might not want to attend it with them. Which is cool anyway, because I was talking to some of the others and most of us are going to meet in about an hour, check in with each other and all that"  
  
Rogue could only assume that she was referring to mutants when she said others, still being a little preoccupied with her earlier meeting she just nodded.  
  
Though it would be nice to see a larger number of their own kind, seeing as she had seen very little of them in the last few days, and was starting to grow a little nervous with the lack of Professor Xavier or any of the X- men.  
  
She and the other mutants were after all in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by a number of people they didn't know; that could be up to anything as far as they knew.  
  
Thinking about her earlier encounter. Yeah she, at least, was definitely a little nervous  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: I know not much happened this chapter, but I'll try to make up for that next time. 


	6. Chapter Six

AUTHORS NOTE: My apologies for the very long delay in this posting, and also for the, erm, crapness of a lot of this, I'll try to do better with the next chapters. Oh and I tried to include a bit of perspective from the X-men, or at least Xavier. Not a lot I know, but please read anyway. As always if you know any sites that have good character profiles or listings or something of the X-men it would be greatly appreciated.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue had once more found herself down by the Lake, watching the water ripple as a dark shape swam just beneath the surface. The Giant Squid. It was only her third day at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already the east bank of the Lake was becoming one of her favourite places to go.  
  
Numerous tree's surrounded her, casting their shade over land and water, while the lake itself lapped against the bank that lay maybe a foot, or a foot and a half above the water itself. A cool breeze played through the branches, the grass, her hair, and cast miniature waves across the water.  
  
It was simply so peaceful there, the noise of the school sounding miles away, the dark forbidding presence of the Forest a secondary buffer from the world. She could almost taste the magic rolling through the air as she slipt into thoughts of what it would be like to swim beside the creature in the lake.  
  
Hogwarts; a History had told of how the Squid was more like a guardian of the waters then a mindless creature seeking to prey on those unwary enough to enter its domain.  
  
Many times it had rescued young witches and wizards, wrenching them free of the lake and the true creatures that lurked beneath the surface, to place them back in the boats they had fallen from. Temptation welled in her to find out whether the book had been right, that the creature would not harm but help.  
  
Perhaps if she'd had more time on her own she may have succumb to the temptation, but already Rogue could hear the sounds of people moving through the tree's, crackling the grass as they crushed it beneath their feet. Hear the sounds of slightly breathless people talking as they approached their destination.  
  
Propping herself up onto her elbows she turned her head enough to see a half dozen mutants leading maybe twenty or twenty-five more, nearly all of the mutants that were at Hogwarts.  
  
Personally she was now wondering exactly who would be conducting the meeting, after all more than forty teenage mutants with varying degree's of power, opinions and attitudes weren't exactly just going to sit down and talk. Like with all groups of people, some were helpful, others were troublemakers and some just plain and simply didn't get along.  
  
The big group was breaking up into smaller ones, friends coming together and positioning themselves around the place, several mutants scampering up to perch in the surrounding tree's, others just dropping to the ground where they were.  
  
Bobby and Jubilee sat beside Rogue, as did Siryn, within a few minutes the only mutant still standing was Colossus, which kind of made sense, he was after all one of the oldest there, and now that she was thinking about it, he had probable been the one that arranged for them all to meet in the first place.  
  
"Listen up everyone" his voice boomed, ending the soft chattering and commanding their attention  
  
"We should try to keep this meeting short for now as I'm sure we'll soon have hoards of Hogwarts Students descending on us, eager to find out why we're all grouped together. So to start with is everyone all right? No ones tried anything on any of you yet?"  
  
The majority of the mutants murmured yes and shook their heads to the second; Rogue didn't feel her run in with the Slytherin Boy was worth mentioning yet.  
  
"Good, Now I've been talking to some of you individually and so far the consensus is that most of you would feel more comfortable if a dormitory of our own could be arranged..."  
  
The rest of the meeting mostly went on about them having their own dormitory, Hogwarts having plenty of unused spaced, none of them thought it would be too much of an issue and it was something useful that the mutants could do until their own Professors arrived.  
  
It was also decided that two or three representatives of the Mutants should be chosen as intermediaries between the Headmaster and themselves, rather then bombarding Dumbledore with forty odd mutants each time they needed to talk with him.  
  
Unfortunately Rogue must have tuned out when they began to discuss who should be selected, some didn't want to be chosen, others did. And it was among those that did; small fights and verbal abuses began, quickly being quelled by the ear shattering screams of Siryn.  
  
Rogue had simply reverted to gazing out over the Lake, and being one of the few that had said nothing at all Colossus stated that she would be one of the intermediaries, in a tone that said there would be no further argument.  
  
He himself would be another and finally a third was selected, an illusionist by the name of Ariel.  
  
It was only as the meeting was breaking up, Bobby and Jubilee dragging her to her feet did she tune back in enough to ask who had been selected.  
  
They both burst out laughing, eventually managing to get out that Rogue herself had been chosen.  
  
Her response was simply an "Oh..."  
  
~*~  
  
The three were joined by Kitty as they went the long way around the Lake to return to the Castle, the restraint of the Hogwarts Students apparently having been shattered by the sounds of Siryn, as Colossus had predicted, they had descended upon the mutants remaining in the meeting place, eight or nine in total.  
  
The others having found other methods to slip away before they were noticed, or simply taking longer ways back to the Castle.  
  
"So what do you guys want to do for the rest of the day?" Rogue asked.  
  
"I'm gonna meet Parvati and Lavender for their Divination lesson, apparently the teacher is meant to be all cool and spooky" Jubilee stated  
  
Kitty just kept walking for a few moments, then flashed the three of them a wicked grin "I think I'm going to do some exploring...I'd invite you to join me but I don't think you'd be able to keep up" Still smiling she faced forwards again and lengthened her stride to catch up with Jubilee, leaving Rogue and Bobby drifting behind.  
  
Bobby's arm slipping around her waist as her head dipped into his shoulder. "Guess that leaves you and me" she said  
  
"For a while" he whispered, a grin to equal Kitty's slipping onto his face "You've got to meet Ariel in a half an hour to see if you can meet with Professor Dumbledore"  
  
Rogue cursed herself a little for not listening "Anything else I should know?" she asked  
  
And began to scowl a little as Bobby looked up, pondering, as if he was giving the question some serious thought, "Hmmm, well you did tune out for a lot...how about you're the prettiest Girl around?"  
  
Her scowl quickly turned into a blush and she picked up the pace, she could almost hear Bobby's face cracking into a grin as it formed.  
  
~*~  
  
AMERICA  
  
Professor Charles Xavier gave what remained of his one time school a final pained glance, so much damage and destruction spawned by vigilantes, mobs and soldiers. It was safe to assume that the school was well and truly gone, a few burnt out walls were all that remained of the upper levels, the lower levels surviving a little more. Cerebro, part of the medical facility.  
  
With another pained sigh Xavier reversed his chair and headed into what had once been the courtyard. Still amazed by the fear that ordinary humans held for those that were different, fear that had driven mobs to attack the school and mutants on the street, followed by soldiers and even lynchings. With the power at his disposal he could have stopped those attacks before they began, stopped or killed every last person who would have raised a hand against his students.  
  
He knew his old friend Erik wouldn't have hesitated; bitter and twisted by the torture he had long ago been subjected to by humans. Xavier wished he had used his power to the most awesome extents that he could have, for now he was tired by it all, hurt and...wearied. Being forced to bury three of his students because he had not acted had almost broken him  
  
As the jets thrusters powered up he knew that it had been his last trip, the school now held too many painful memories for him to consider returning again and with his final use of Cerebro he had dismantled it, removing the irreplaceable aspects and destroying the rest.  
  
"New York" he murmured to Scott, he had located a small group of mutants that had taken refuge there, and once they had been picked up and taken to the refuge provided by Hogwarts, the real work for the X-men would begin.  
  
Xavier's mind was already turning over the facts as he gazed into empty space, with the Mutant Registration Act in full effect; lynch mobs had increased and were a dozen times more effective in accurately IDing and eliminating Mutants. And with the destruction of his school safe havens had become few and far between, Dumbledores offer and the revelation of the wizarding world had been nothing but miraculous.  
  
Even with the disadvantages that came with it, he thanked whatever higher power exited for the offer had been too enticing to refuse, with his students as safe as they could be he could begin directing his energies elsewhere.  
  
"Once we have the last groups of mutants delivered to Hogwarts I want you and Nightcrawler to remain there," Xavier said, directing his voice towards Storm "the students especially need to continue their studies and mastering their gifts now that we have a new war to fight. Scott will remain with me while I continue our current work, and see how the others have faired"  
  
Neither Storm, Scott or Nightcrawler gave more then a curt nod or two in response, they too were weary and were expecting another fight to rescue the last group of mutants from their school. Half a building had been destroyed and three mutants killed in their last attempt, all for a single mutation who had soon died despite their best efforts, after being subjected to a stoning by a mob.  
  
Let the human world be damned for the time being, he thought, he would have no further involvement in stopping the mutants that lashed out. He would no longer risk himself and his people for the very people that were trying to kill them.  
  
It was his new allies that their energies should be directed towards, after all the Wizarding World had opened their arms to mutant kind in their darkest hour. It was them that the X-men should be helping, helping to win a war that would eventually spill into the human world anyway.  
  
Thinking back to his first meeting with the Headmaster of the school the mutants were currently taking refuge in he felt a faint smile tug at his lips. The man had been unusual to say the least, and more then that had presented a new theory into the evolution of mutants. Not that it really mattered to anymore, the scientist within Xavier couldn't help but continue to desire the answers to the evolution of his kind.  
  
With a final sigh Xavier hoped that Wolverine had reached the school, even with the wizards and witches generosity, he knew his students would feel better with one of their own teachers, someone they knew and trusted, around.  
  
The Professor gently pushed his head back and allowed himself to drift into a restless sleep as the jet roared its way towards New York City.  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: I understand that this wasn't a brilliant chapter, a little disjointed in my opinion; I probably should have put the Xavier part in somewhere else, maybe a little earlier, but oh well. Was the chapter otherwise ok? I'll try to put something interesting into the next chapter. 


	7. Chapter Seven

AUTHORS NOTE: My apologises if my writing isn't up to scratch at the moment, I'm trying but my writing feels blocky at the moment, I can't think of a better way to describe it. Oh and Thank You to my reviewers!!!  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue was a little shocked when she arrived at the office of the headmaster and found him and several of the sixth year students waiting for the mutant congregation. Her eyes had flicked to Harry's; standing beside Dumbledore as she remembered that he had once mentioned in passing that Dumbledore seemed to know everything that happened within Hogwarts as soon as it happened. Or of course he could have just realised that the mutants might be feeling a little uncomfortable with none of their own teachers yet to arrive at the school, or maybe just that the mutants would need a place, a dormitory of their own eventually since they couldn't be sorted into the schools pre-existing houses, and couldn't remain as guests permanently, or the people waiting in the office could have nothing to do with what she and the other mutants where there to discuss.  
  
Too many Or's...she thought  
  
"Ah, I've been expecting you" the headmaster stated, directing his attention towards Ariel who was standing a little ahead of Bobby and Rogue. "I assume you're here in concern to arranging a suitable dormitory for you and your fellow students from Professor Xavier's School?" One of his eyebrows quirked a little at the last part of the sentence  
  
At a slight nod from Ariel, whom Rogue guessed was as speechless as she was, he continued, "I thought once you had all gotten settled you might desire something along those lines, so I've been taking the liberty of speaking with some of my own students" his eyes flickered between Harry, Lavender, the pug faced Slytherin girl and two Ravenclaws before settling back on Ariel  
  
"And they have suggested that not being wizards, or British" A smile seemed to tweak his lips at that point "That comfortable arrangements might differ...for you, and so a rather interesting suggestion has been proposed by Ms Parkinson -" Indicating Pug-face "- that you should not only be given a dormitory, but also the liberty of creating it yourself"  
  
Rogue could feel her jaw drop at that, create a dormitory??? The school's built from solid stone isn't it?  
  
"And I daresay that the school wouldn't mind a little creative redesigning in a few of the less used area's" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling now, "So what do you think of this idea?"  
  
It took a moment or two before any of them could respond. "Ah Professor Dumbledore, sir, a few mutants here can manipulate molecular structures, but I don't think any of them can manipulate it at the levels your talking sir" Ariel stated  
  
Snickers, and some muffled laughter could be heard from the seated students causing Rogue to look at them. "Ah yes, well as to that I would of course give one or two responsible –"and he emphasized responsible " – students the keys to manipulating a limited area of Hogwarts to aid in this endeavour" he finished  
  
But looking as if he was reconsidering what he'd said he added "Perhaps, if you did not object the keys could be given to one mutant, and one wizard?"  
  
Ariel glanced back at Rogue and Bobby, but she was just as confused as he was about the 'keys' and being able to manipulate the castles structure, something magical no doubt and having one of the wizards participating would probable keep them from doing something too bad, so she just shrugged and he turned back.  
  
"Ah, sure" Ariel said a little uncertainly "Um, just a couple of questions though," At Dumbledore's nod he continued, "What exactly are these key things, how do we use them, and I suppose where and when can we get started?"  
  
Rogue noted with interest that the Hogwarts Students were suddenly paying more attention now as the smiling headmaster explained "The keys are a kind of magical energy bestowed upon the headmaster of the school that gives him or her the ability to act as an extension of the school, and when its needed to change the schools structure. Though it's not something to be used lightly and generally not at all"  
  
"The keys that you shall be given are copies that will only affect a limited area of the school and will dissipate from you in seventy-two hours, so you will have that long to create your own area, so I'd suggest not wasting it. When the keys are active they should for the most part respond to your thoughts, and as to when you should start, why not now? You three are the elected delegates for the mutant population currently residing here, and so I'd assume have the authority to make decisions?"  
  
Again Ariel couldn't do more then nod.  
  
Still Smiling, and now with a twinkle in his eyes Dumbledore went on "As I will be entrusting you with a great, if temporary ability I'd ask that you indulge me in allowing me to select Ms Rogue and Ms Brown to be the wielders of the key, I've found the school to be more receptive to a females touch...which could explain the majority of headmasters to headmistresses..." the last sounded more like he was talking to himself then anyone else in the room.  
  
Taking their silence for consent Dumbledore went on once more "I would also be most appreciative if you allowed the students here to observe the process of creation, just to help you avoid anything that the school would obviously not condo-"  
  
"What? You won't be there???" Harry exclaimed in surprise, drawing the room's attention to him  
  
If it was possible Rogue would have sworn that the Professor's smile had grown "No Harry, I won't be there, I have other pressing matters to attend to, but I'm sure a few of your Professors will stop by from time to time. It's a rare opportunity to see the keys in use"  
  
"Now if Miss Brown and Ms Rogue will kindly kneel down?"  
  
As they did, he removed his wand and placed it against his chest, murmuring some words that were inaudible to the room. A silverish glow, tinted with green, gold and blue began to swirl in dizzying patterns about him.  
  
Placing his wand against the two girls foreheads in turn and once again speaking so that he could not be heard, the colours swirling around him began to spiral out to include Rogue and Lavender.  
  
Rogue felt them flow around her, slipping into sync with the beat of her heart, with the ebb of her energy as they slowly began to merge with her. A rush burned through her body, she felt hot and cold simultaneously, it was a nauseating experience as the last of the swirls flowed into her, time seemed to rush ahead of and slow down at the same time. Her eyes flashing a mix of colours as the energy, the key, melted into her own energy and found a place to reside with in her mutancy. Oddly it left a chocolaty taste in her mouth.  
  
Vaguely Rogue noticed Bobby's hand on her shoulder, steadying her, "How do you feel?" he asked  
  
Pondering the question, she felt incredibly, she could feel the stone around her, the magic infusing the school and its grounds. Such an ancient and immense thing, it made her feel insignificant, like an ant.  
  
She ignored his question and asked, "Where'd the Headmaster go?"  
  
"To his pressing engagements," Harry stated "You and Lavender have been out of it for while, Dumbledore said that was to be expected, he also told us to take you and any other mutant that wants a say in the construction to your allocated area" he explained "And not to waste time as your mutancy might absorb the key faster then it should"  
  
"He also told us to tell the two of you," one of the Ravenclaws said, "Not to abuse they keys...or do anything...slytherin like" her lips twisted into a smile at the, giving a long pointed look to the pug-faced girl who Rogue noticed was looking a little sour.  
  
For a few moments after that everyone just sat there looking around until the other Ravenclaw spoke up "Well? C'mon, we wanna see these key things in actions" And with that she charged out of the room, obviously expecting them to follow.  
  
~*~  
  
Nearly five hours after first entering Dumbledore's office Rogue found herself within a space about half the size of the Gryffindor common room, somewhere on the east side of the school. At first she'd been wondering how the hell such a small space would serve for all of the mutants currently in the school, and the ones still trickling in.  
  
It didn't take her long to work it out.  
  
"When Professor Dumbledore said we'd be able to alter the school it didn't really sink in," she breathed out, as she visualized the room expanding. The walls beginning to flow outwards, almost as if water was running along them; they shimmered  
  
Rogue wasn't the only one impressed with the 'keys'; the Hogwarts students were standing in awe as the room shifted its state, as were the mutants, the 'Congregation having expanded to fifteen in total, when the word had spread that they would be able to create their own dorm a selection of mutations with varying tastes that more or less represented all the mutants currently in the school had found their way to the allocated area for a meeting on the general design.  
  
An interesting meeting to say the least...Rogue thought to herself  
  
"So what do you reckon?" Rogue asked "Do you think if we triple the size we already have, it should be enough for a 'common room'" she emphasized common room because it had quickly been decided that the area was going to become much too American for those words to apply, just the thought brought a grin to her face. The Mutants Dorm was going to be very different from the rest of Hogwarts.  
  
At several enthusiastic nods Rogue linked hands with Lavender, needing the combined efforts of the two to create the larger changes to the area, something that had taken a very frustrating hour to learn.  
  
The room expanded outwards once more, tripling in size, but Rogue was already visualizing the smaller details, twin wooden staircases formed either side of an emerging balcony that over looked the room. Continuing to visualize it, she felt dozens of individual rooms forming, creating upper and lower levels from the room she was currently in, the staircases now flowing into and beneath the floor to a lower level of rooms.  
  
No one else in the room being able to see what she had done aside from Lavender, it fell to her to ask what was going on with so many rooms.  
  
It was a grinning Ariel who responded, "We're spoilt stuck up American brats who feel that a little...or a lot...of luxury suits us" he was wearing a broad grin as he spoke "So along those lines we've decided a room each, or if we get pressed for space a room between two"  
  
"And Rogue?" Bobby chipped in "The fire place?"  
  
With a slight growl of irritation she formed an image of an enormous fireplace across the room from where the entrance would eventually be placed. The fireplace was set in marble and stone, draped in red, white and blue with a series of stars and other little symbols littering it.  
  
She hadn't personally wanted the fireplace but had been outvoted eight to seven, Bobby being the deciding vote. Traitor...she thought, but not with a lot of energy.  
  
A wild grin spawned upon her face as the ground beneath the students became a plush carpet, alternating between a series of colours, luxurious chairs seemed to grow from the floors, settling themselves around the fireplace, and edges of the room, some with small tables between them like a casual café setting for friends or groups to talk or work around.  
  
At the suggestion of Harry, and a quick conference with the mutants and Hogwarts students portraits and other objects began to appear across the walls, as well as a wood setting. Coating the stonewalls to give the area an even more relaxed feel.  
  
Rogue left it to Lavender, with the help of several mutants and wizards to disappear off into the individual rooms and set up some basic requirements like beds and dressers while she focused on forming four very lavish bathrooms, two downstairs, and two upstairs.  
  
During the time of manipulating the general dormitory area Rogue hadn't noticed much else and was surprised when Bobby mentioned the amount of people, mutants, teachers and students that had been going in and out, observing her and Lavender at work.  
  
The side affects of using the key were beginning to kick in so she settled into one of the sofa's by the fireplace to await the return of the other mutants it occurred to Rogue what was missing and with a little concentration a Pool Table emerged in a corner of the room.  
  
"So exactly how big have you made this place?" Ariel asked  
  
Yawning Rouge replied, "If everything's the way it should be this dormitory pretty much spans all the levels of Hogwarts, dungeons to a tower –"  
  
She was cut off from saying anymore by the return of Lavender and her group.  
  
"That's pretty much it all done" Lavender exclaimed "Who knew it could all be done this fast! Really, all that's left is the individual touches to each room"  
  
"And the entrance" Harry put it.  
  
With so little left to do, and all the large changes to Hogwarts done, the number of Hogwarts Students still in the 'mutant dorms' had reduced to just Lavender, Harry and another boy who had turned up during the process that had been introduced as Seamus.  
  
"Yes, as to that" Ariel started "We've been wondering if there would be anything wrong with having...a few entrances, I mean there are quite a few levels"  
  
The three Gryffindors just looked at each other for a moment before Harry responded, "I don't see why there would be"  
  
Taken that as consent Rogue leapt up and crossed to the wall furthest from where she had just been sitting and placed a hand against it. She had been considering the entrance for a little while, and thought plain was best, enough people would know exactly where the dorm was already, so there would be no point showing them where the door was exactly.  
  
With a smile she removed her hand and spoke aloud a password "Mutation's Refuge" And that was it.  
  
From within the dormitory there was a simple archway to show where the exit existed, but on the other side there was nothing at all. Rogue had designed the door to seem like any other wall in the school, except for once the password was spoken a person would be able to walk right through it. Concentrating she felt her energy flow outwards through the walls to create four more entrances at various levels of the school – one of which lead directly outside from the ground and another from the roof.  
  
Making her way back over to the couches, she dropped down into Bobby's lap, exhausted from what she had been doing for the last few hours, her body felt completely drained and she was lapsing into sleep as Harry, Lavender and Seamus left, the last thing she noticed was Lavender screwing up her eyes and the words Mutant Central scribing themselves across the archway.  
  
~*~  
  
A man walked through what had appeared to be a solid brick wall; it stirred an uneasy feeling in him. Walking through solid walls wasn't something that he generally, in fact he ever, did.  
  
Muttering to himself he ran a hand back through the two tufts in his hair and looked down on the sleeping teens, even in the pitch black his keen eye sight could pick up the streak of white that identified the young girl as Rogue. The way the boy's arms protectively wrapped around her even in sleep named him Bobby.  
  
He found his thoughts drifting as he watched the two, allowing his claws to slip back into his flesh and the skin to knit and heal. It had taken him much longer to reach the school of witchcraft and wizardry then he had expected, but finally he, the man with the adamantium skeleton, Wolverine, had arrived.  
  
~*~  
  
AUTHORS NOTE: Please don't shoot me, this chapter sucked so badly I know, and the little bit at the end with Wolverine, really really crap. But by my little list of stuff that was meant to happen in each chapter, I'm a chapter behind, and I thought at least one of the X-men should hurry up and arrive.  
  
I admit, I am very much ashamed of this chapter, so why post it you may ask??? I felt I needed to get an update up... 


	8. Chapter Eight

AUTHORS NOTE: I've reposted this chapter due to my finally noticing that the symbols I used to place gaps in this chapter weren't there, hopefully it will make a little more sense this way. Though I don't like using these lines

This first sort of section is more like an update in the world of my fan fiction as a way for me to sort of push forwards a little faster.

WARNING: Some references to bisexuality.

* * *

Days in the lives of the mutants at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began to move much more quickly with the arrival of Logan, the mutants began to feel more at ease with their new environment and many began to branch out and form more friendships with the wizards and witches surrounding them. Mutant Central also expanded almost of its own accord, every few days new items appearing on the walls and in the rooms, the common room itself half resembled an arcade with pinball machines and a variety of video games.

Rogue had a growing suspicion that the headmaster of the school was partially responsible for the additions to Mutant Central, though on more then one occasion she had seen frustrated students attempting to explain the point of the game machines and once or twice how they worked as well to other teachers.

Dozens of the Hogwarts students seemed to be equally as exasperated with the mutants after spending hours attempting to explain a game called Quidditch? And much of the daily going ons of the school that had long since been taken for granted by the wizards. In the case of the broomstick game many of the wizards had simply given up and said that the mutants would just have to come to the first Quidditch Game of the season, which would be played in several weeks.

The Existence of the mutants at Hogwarts was becoming more commonplace, there were only a few odd looks every now and then from the odd student, three of the houses had more or less embraced or found some kind of a balance with the new comers to the school. Slytherin being the only house that was for the most part remaining as separate from the Mutants as possible, Rogue had heard more then once that the Slytherins thought of mutants as no better then muggles who were trying to rise above themselves.

_Not that it mattered_, she thought. _Bigotry was everywhere, hypocrites too_.

Copies of the Daily Prophet, the wizard paper and various human newspapers also began to appear around the school so that mutants and wizards alike could keep track of how the human world was fairing in relation to the mutants problems, riots and mobs still plaguing every mutant that could be found or hunted down. Also of how the Wizard World was fairing with their own war.

* * *

"Thirteen Dead in Mutant Rampage" Bobby read aloud, "Early yesterday morning a group of Americans were violently attacked by Adam Davies (a mutant) with no provocation". Several of the gathered mutants snorted or made other rude noises to express their opinion of that. "The mutant apparently went berserk outside a mall in Washington after being asked to leave when he made threatening gestures to several concerned citizens." This time louder noises and more of them were made, the words "vigilantes" and "lynch mobs" were distinctly audible.

"The mutant caused severe damage to several buildings and killed thirteen people, four women and nine men, through a serious of explosive discharges. Before the mutant was able to do anymore damage several brave bystanders put a stop to him." No one in the group missed the articles avoidance of how the mutant had been stopped; neither did they make any comments, sharing a moment of silence for their comrade. Even with the deaths Adam Davies had caused, he was a fellow mutant who had been persecuted, something they could all relate to.

Bobby let the article drop and picked up another one _"Human Liberation" _he read _"Seven mutants known to form the core of a group believed to be actively against the well-being of the American People, were burned out of a building and their bodies triumphantly displayed by a over concerned neighbourhood watch". _He didn't have to read anymore, no such group had existed and a number more mutants had died for no reason.

None of the dozen mutants arranged around Bobby and the pile of newspapers bothered reading anymore, they were all the same. Mutants killed for defending themselves, persecuted for nothing more then how they were born, Mutants '_murdering' _innocent people.

Every article was designed to either increase the fear of mutants, or make the human murderers seem more justified in their actions. With a disgusted sound echoing forth from Rogue she scrunched an article in her hand and tossed it into the flames of the Mutant Common Rooms fireplace. The others agreed with her sentiments and quickly the rest of the articles were consigned to the flames as well.

Moving away from the human newspapers, the mutants went through the wizarding papers in order to keep up to date with the happenings of both worlds. And it appeared that the wizarding world was fairing as badly as the human world. More violent and more frequent attacks by the followers of Lord Voldemort plagued the wizarding world, with a number of witches and wizards dead and chaos ensuing with the uncertain knowledge of who was working for the side of good and who was not.

The morning combings of the wizarding and human world papers had become a pre-breakfast ritual for the mutants. With it done Rogue stood and left the Mutant Dorms, passing through the 'doorway' and into the halls of Hogwarts. Bobby not far behind her.

Sighing she linked arms with Bobby as they made their way to the Great Hall. "Things aren't looking good are they?" she asked him

"No" he said simply.

* * *

The inane chatter of mindless topics filled the Great Hall as wizards and mutants alike enjoyed a rich dinner after a particularly dull day. Rogue had only sat in on one wizarding class and promptly been bored to the point of sleep, and the sole class for the mutant population hadn't gone much better.

As much as she liked Logan, he wasn't much of a teacher and he knew that as well. But in the spirit of things he had conducted a very physical class that had involved physical exhaustion followed by a series of mentally exhausting activities designed to help the mutants use and focus their powers under duress.

Sighing Rogue rested her head on a hand and idly brushed the potatoes around her plate.

"Hey Rogue, Rogue... Rogue, earth to Rogue??? Come in Rogue!"

Crimson infused her cheeks as she snapped to attention, "Oh...sorry Lavender, what did you say?"

"I _was" _putting heavy emphasis on the was, "asking you what you thought". With Rogue just giving her a blank eyed stare she sighed and flipped her hair in a melodramatic fashion "Do you think I should have blonde or blue high lights?"

Appraising the girl Rogue couldn't really see her with blue in her hair and said so. "Blonde then" Lavender stated simply "Now, do you think I should just get one or two done, or a whole bunch? Or maybe I should just go blonde all together" the last bit was more of a thoughtful note to herself rather then any of the students at the table.

"Um, I don't know"

Sighing in frustration at the lack of help Lavenders eyes darted up to Rogues own hair before meeting her eyes again "Well, why did you decide on just the one white streak, and for that matter why white???"

Just the mention of her white streak was enough to bring the memories boiling to the surface of her mind, screwing her eyes shut she let them roll over her...

..._Pain surging through her, as she felt it anew, the machine she had been locked into drawing on the powers Magneto had thrust upon her, wrenching them from her in a way that went beyond any agony she had ever known, the flitting and whir of the machine as it spun kept her screams from the world, as her life poured from her in one sudden rush, terror so consuming that her hair streaked shock white as deaths arms embraced her..._

Fine beads of sweat slicked her face as the memories submerged themselves back into the depths of her mind. None of the witches around her had noticed anything odd, and Lavender still met her gaze awaiting a reply.

"I didn't," she said

"Oh... well how did you end up with it then?" Lavender pressed, never noticing the slight tremor in Rogues voice, but someone else did. His intense green eyes had moved from the food he had been devouring to look at Rogue, the movement registering in the corner of her eye as she turned to look at him, to meet his gaze.

And from his eyes her own wondered up his face to the slightly concealed scar that his jet-black hair partially covered. Her eyes stilled locked on the scar she replied, "How did Harry get his scar?"

"You-know-who tried to kill him," Lavender said simply and without thinking, only then did it dawn on her and she made an oh sound followed by another, very soft oh.

Meeting Harry's eyes for a brief moment, she returned her attention to her food. That small section of Gryffindor table becoming quietly subdued after that.

* * *

_Well_, Rogue thought, _I've done well today, almost falling asleep and disrupting a wizarding class and then killing all conversation at dinner. And now...well now I'm sitting like a lump in the middle of another conversation._

At that moment in time Rogue was in front of the blazing fire in Mutant Central wearing a thin silky top and long gloves that reached a few inches past her elbows, she'd decided she was going to enjoy the fire rather then melt beside it for a change.

Seated next to her were Bobby, Jubilee and Kitty, with a collection of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and Seamus opposite her, and a range of other mutants, witches and wizards scattered throughout the "common room"

She smiled a little at that, the Mutant Dorms had become the most popular area to be before curfew for all of the Hogwarts populace. The mutants had been encouraged to mix by the professors and so their dorms had quickly become a free for all area being the largest of the school 'common rooms'.

Even a few Slytherins found their way into the mutant's area at times.

Curling her feet up under her Rogue tucked herself under Bobby's arm and gently let her head rest against his chest, feeling the rhythmic movements as he breathed in and out, she tuned into the conversation going on, to her shock mutants, wizards and witches alike where playing truth or dare...it just seemed so trivial to her with everything that was going on in the world, but as the game moved around her she couldn't help but get involved.

It was a piece of juvenile normality for all of them. _Normal, _she thought,_ except for that verit-something stuff Parvati gave us all...wonder whether it really is a truth serum..._she hoped that she wouldn't get to test it herself.

"Ok, so truth or dare...Harry!" Jubilee exclaimed, she seemed to be taking immense pleasure in the game.

"Truth" Harry said bleakly; most likely dreading whatever the gossip was cooking up in her mind. _It's always so much more fun to play the game when you're not the one being picked on_, Rogue thought.

A malicious grin spread across Jubilee's face as she began to speak in a sweetly innocent tone "Which of the lovely ladies here" giving a general wave that encompassed most of the girls in the room "would you most like to, how do you British put it..."

Jubilee made kissing sounds and Ron caught on, chiming in with "Snog?"

"Snog." She stated in a satisfied way

Shooting a vicious look at his best friend Harry blushed furiously and stuttered "Ahh w-well, err..." before muttering something

"What was that?" Jubilee smirked as she asked, her voice still innocently sweet, "You're going to have to speak louder then that honey"

Just as he was about to speak again a voice broke in from the other side of the room, "He said Lavender!" All eyes turned towards the purplish blue mutant that crouched on the pool table, tapping his ears he smiled "Wickedly good hearing dudes". Than his body liquefied and reformed in the shape of a pool ball.

Smirks and smiles filling the room mutants, witches and wizards returned to what they had been doing and the group by the fire returned their attentions to Harry; and now Lavender as well. Harry was looking decidedly uncomfortable to the point that no one had to ask whether the purple-blue mutant had been right or not.

And Lavender was beaming in an almost coy fashion, her eyes focused down while a faint red flush suffused her cheeks. Jubilee herself looked thoroughly satisfied, having had her fun.

"Its your shot Harry" Jubilee stated.

Now it was his turn to smile, his eyes lighting up "Same question back at you"

Jubilee just quirked an eyebrow "Seamus there isn't too hard on the eyes" she said simply, but Harry just kept smiling.

"I said same question back at you," he said in a tone that was becoming sickly sweet, which caused confusion to slip across more then one face. _She'd answered the question hadn't she...?_ Rogue thought, it only dawned on her a moment before he elaborated. "Which of these lovely _ladies" _emphasising 'ladies' "would _you_" emphasising 'you' "most want to snog?". His smile had twisted into a sickly sweet smile of satisfaction, obviously expecting to freeze her up or make her blush.

Jubilee had him beat.

Without a pause her eyes flitted across each of the girls in the group appraisingly, while she made a long drawn out sound as if she were thinking. She even went as far as to stand up and move around each of them as if weighing up the options. Rogue was starting to get the feeling that Jubilee was going to do something..._Jubileeish._

She didn't disappoint. In the space of a heartbeat Jubilee pivoted, a hand going to either side of Parvati's face to hold her immobile for the moment it took her to lean in and firmly and thoroughly kiss the girl.

Pulling away to meet a group full of shocked looks and one very dazed expression from Parvati, she shrugged and dropped back into her seat beside Rogue. "I guess I'd choose Parvati"

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE:


	9. Chapter Nine

AUTHORS NOTE: This first sort of section is more like an update in the world of my fan fiction as a way for me to sort of push forwards a little faster. (Same as previous chapter) I have a physical pang of pain at this chapter's utter terribleness…

But also, thank you to my earlier reviewers/readers who are still reading this story. And also thank you to all my new readers and reviewers. And Sam, wonderful review, long review **Grin**

Finally; cookies…mmmmmm

Can Someone tell me why this wonderfully loading program drops out symbols, I don't like this dull little lines

* * *

Throughout the world the anti-mutant hysteria was steadily increasing with the flamboyant and attention drawing uses of mutant powers when identified mutations were hunted and persecuted by official and unofficial authorities. Other mutants had begun to give up on controlling their own kind who fought back in extreme and dangerous ways due to several occurrences in which mutants who stopped the more dangerous of their kind from hurting innocents were in turn stopped or killed by humans.

And in the wizarding world, the fight against Lord Voldemort was steadily increasing, with more numerous assaults on wizards and muggles alike and the Dark Lords forces growing in terms of wizards and dark creatures that he had called or bargained to his side.

Also something that many wizards were finding very disturbing was Lord Voldemort's new interest in Mutations, it was believed that he was beginning to see the potential advantages to having mutants fight with him, bolstering his numbers and creating a degree more of unpredictability in any battle scenario involving lesser numbers…or at least that's what was generally thought…

* * *

Erik Lehnsherr felt ill at ease from the moment he had agreed to meet with a representative of the Wizarding World's most feared Dark Wizard – a man known as Lord Voldemort. He had been re-establishing the base of operations for the Brotherhood of Mutants on an isolated Island when one of the wizards known as Death Eaters had found him and his there and told him of the Dark Lords desires to meet, before that he had been reluctant to make any contact with the wizarding world despite his extensive knowledge of it, he knew that either side would want the powers of the stronger mutants at their disposal to fight in their war, and that meant the wizarding world was as equally unstable as the human one. Besides he had his own war to wage.

Much to his dismay what he had predicted had finally come to pass and with the foolish decision of the Washington Politicians he knew that his war would soon begin, and that the turmoil the world currently felt from the few mutants that were already fighting back was only the beginning and it was going to take the collaborative efforts of all Mutants to achieve their freedom from the human persecutions and to secure their place as the dominant species.

He pulled his mind back to reality; he could not afford to dwell on what had already occurred and what was yet to occur. His decision to meet with the Dark Lord had been forced upon him in an effort to buy his people time to relocate once more, someplace more secure where neither human nor wizard would locate them any time soon.

Erik a.k.a Magneto stood in the centre of what might have once been an opening in the midst of a forest, a few scattered trees remained, but for the most part there was naught but scorched land. Perhaps a fire had ravaged it at one point in time, it mattered little in reality except as a way to amuse his mind while he awaited the representative of Lord Voldemort.

Magneto allowed the side of his lips to curl at the word _Representative, _Voldemort himself would meet with him. Whether as a ruse to kill him and then the Brotherhood, or to actually settle terms to bring the Brotherhood over to his side as allies in his war, he had no choice but to be the one that met him. A man who inspired such fear that other men feared to say his name would have an ego to match. And men with such egos did not trust such tasks to anyone other then themselves.

His smile grew larger at that thought, he himself was such a man, or at least he once had been.

Erik heard the man before he saw him, a slight pop sound filled the silence of the charred land and he turned to face the black robed individual. An aura of power radiated off of him, the robed man was someone who commanded, elongated fingers appeared from the robe to flip back the hood and reveal a drawn out waxen face.

A snake like smell permeated the atmosphere as Lord Voldemort advanced on Magneto, stopping several metres away from him. Magneto noted the regal posture and whatever doubts he might have had were erased; the man…though that was not quite an accurate term…was the Dark Lord.

"Welcome Magneto, I am glad that you chose to attend thiss meeting, we have much to disscuss you an I," the Dark Lord hissed, almost as if his tongue was that of a snake.

"I agree Lord Voldemort" though he did not, curiosity as to whether the Dark Lord truly desired a partnership with Mutants or whether he simply wished to kill them had been what brought him to the meeting. The distain in the 'Lords' voice had already answered the question.

The 'Lord' would either kill or enslave mutant kind.

"We are both men of vision," The Dark Lord stated. "Our goals coincide, as do are beliefs of the inferiority of muggle kind, known to you as homo sapiens"

"I would also agree with that" Magneto replied, he could almost see the way the 'Lords' mind ticked over his words, he believed he had already won, a mistake that Magneto would soon show him was fatal.

"I propose an alliance" Voldemort said, "Your Brotherhood is strong and powerful and would be a great asset in my army. Together we could crush my enemiess, and once my dominance is ssecured we could annihilate the muggle plague that has swept across this world"

"I would agree…" he could see victory flash through the 'Lords' eyes at those words, "But" his eyes narrowed and hardened "Where would my kind be after this war of yours?"

"You would of coursse be my right arm, and your kind worshipped"

Magneto couldn't help but shake his head; the Dark Lords lines were virtually scripted. Hollow and pointless "And the fact that many wizards have said that mutants are lowlier then the mangiest of 'mud-bloods'? That I believe you would not tolerate us, and you would soon turn on my kind once you had won your war?"

Voldemort dropped any pretence; Magneto had already heard the soft popping sounds in the distance, dozens of them, a sense of unease beginning to wash over him. The trap was sprung, far sooner then he had expected. "If you knew what I would do, why did you bother to come at all?"

"A trap is only a trap when you walk into blindly" he stated calmly, but inside he felt anything by calm. "I did not come alone"

"Nor did I" the Dark Lord hissed, a vicious grimace taking his face "But remember this mud-blood not, the flies eyes are open and still its entangled by the web"

And then the world exploded around them.

* * *

Intense magnetic fields ploughed deep into the ground as a second layer of opaque shields stuck against Magnetos. Deaf and blind to the world outside of their little sphere, neither Voldemort, nor Magneto could see or aid their people. A mini-war waged around them that they were isolated from, as they themselves became immersed in battle

Power against Power. Wizard against Mutant. It only took Magneto moments to realise he had vastly underestimated Lord Voldemort, his own supposedly overcome ego blinding him. He didn't know how long the two of them exchanged attacks back and forth, but blood was streaming from numerous injuries and he glistened with sweat, both from physical exhaustion and from the effort it took to maintain the shields around himself.

With a burst of tremendous power Voldemort shattered Magneto's defences and hurled him to the ground, with the shields that had isolated them gone Magneto was thrust into the middle of a war zone, while Voldemort smiled arrogantly and mouthed three words that made his blood run cold.

_"…Divide and Conquer…"_

In a single destructive rage Magneto levelled what remained of the enemy, tore them asunder in a desperate move to escape, he even offered up a prayer to the God he reviled, that the young members of the Brotherhood were alright. If he had had time to consider his thoughts and actions Magneto would have said that he had become as sentimental as Charles.

But he didn't have time; Voldemort had split the Brotherhood, luring the stronger mutants into a trap where they were drastically outnumbered, and now if Magneto was right the second assault would begin against the forty odd young, virtually untrained, mutants that would one day form the core of the new brotherhood.

* * *

Chaos greeted Magento as he returned to the ruins of the partially completed site that had been going to serve as the headquarters for the Brotherhood. He barely noticed the teleporter collapsing from the strain of the multiple teleportation's with a passenger, he had needed to move fast and she had been the fastest method available to him.

Mutant blood covered the floors and walls; bodies lay seemingly untouched and others torn to pieces.

Many of the Brotherhood were dead or dying, but grimly Magneto pushed down those thoughts as he knelt beside the still form of Sabre Tooth, his incredible healing abilities having saved him at Ellis Island finally seemed to have met their match against wizard magic. It could be the only explanation for his death, as the wounds that must have caused his extensive bleeding were healed over.

Standing back up, grief poured through Magneto for the dead, as a single tear slipped down his cheek, so many of the young brotherhood lay dead, he would not let their deaths be in vain… he swore that what Voldemort had sought to avoid by striking first he had now caused, if he and his survived they would rain war upon the Dark Lord.

Hearing the screams and the sounds of fighting; he knew the battle was not over, that it had simply moved beyond where he stood.

Charging into the open courtyard at the back of the building he saw what remained of his people fighting for their lives, both physically and with whatever powers they possessed. Three creatures, shaped similar to man but twenty foot tall and holding clubs were smashing everything in their path and a dozen creatures clad completely in black hooded robes stood a dozen feet above the fighting, they radiated a nauseating sense of fear and panic, and stirred something deeper within him.

_How were his people meant to fight that???_ He briefly wondered, aside from them he could see three or four dozen witches and wizards wearing the masks that marked them as Death Eaters, some casting spells, while others wielded swords, mostly to plunge into the bodies on the ground to be sure they would not rise again.

A grim smile creased his face, _swords_. With ease he flexed his powers reaching out to wrench the blades from the hands of their wielders, turning them first against the Death Eaters, slicing through their flesh the way they had his brothers, before sending them all careening into the largest of the three Giants.

The creature toppled, and a true slaughter began as Magneto unleashed the bitter, burning, rage that tore through him, screams echoed through his mind as the courtyard upended itself and buried half of the dark wizards, but before he was able to strike again he was forced to shield himself from a variety of spells. The sheer volume of which managed to shear through his magnetic fields and throw him back.

Clipping his head against a piece of debris he slipped into a state of semi-consciousness becoming momentarily helpless.

One of the Death Eaters flowed into view, and stood over him, looking pleased as he slipt a sword out of his robes and held it two handed over his body "Bye bye Mutant". He was raising it back when the blade shattered, along with his ceramic mask. Magneto watched with a certain satisfaction as the pieces of that mask ripped through the wizards eyes, leaving him a bloody wreck to stumble beneath the foot of a Giant, screaming ever so painfully as the lower half of his body was crushed.

Magnetos son, a mutant by the name of Avalanche helped him back to his feet before crumbling to the ground himself, a flash of green having illuminated his back for a brief moment. He didn't need to touch him to know he was dead, nor did he need to touch the Death Eater that had murdered him to know that he too was dead, a green figure having flashed down to crush his spine.

Tearing into the midst of the battle, he knew that he was now bleeding heavily from a number of small wounds across his body; his second son was dead, as were so many others and the wizards forces just continued to come while the Brotherhood was on the verge of extinction.

Magneto knew that if they continued to fight they would all be annihilated, and while he desperately desired to continue the blood bath until he could fight no longer he felt himself already resolving to escape. Strategic or tactical retreat one might call it

"Retreat!" he screamed and only hoped that it did not fall upon deaf ears, not that it mattered so much. The Brotherhood had reached its highest membership of seventy mutants; he would not be surprised if there were only seven still standing. All of which were being slowly pushed back into a wall and surrounded

"Retreat" he screamed again "Escape, evade, get out of here!"

The searing heat of flames rushed past his face to engulf a wizard, and Magneto found himself backing towards Pyro, "Its time to go" he said, forming a shield for the two of them as effectively as he could against the increasing number of wizards. They'd almost reached the courtyard exit when he was roughly pushed by the boy, he slid along the stone for a moment before he looked back at Pyro to see a pained expression on his face as a bloody blade protruded from his stomach…

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: Comments, questions? How was the chapter??? I did three rewrites of this thing, and in the end this was the best I can do. Oh and just to clarify now, the Brotherhood is basically the same as it always was, my manipulation of characters and converging of different aspects and times, or names mentioned doesn't matter too much as the Brotherhood is virtually gone now, slaughtered, kabam! The reason for so many young mutants is that the Brotherhood is sort of a refuge for young mutants who have nowhere else to go and want to fight back.

I hope you liked it, and that my ramblings made sense. Till next time!


	10. Chapter Ten

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm attempting to take the level of this story up a bit, if that makes any sense. Sorry that I haven't posted in, well, more then two months. I hope those who are still reading this enjoy Chapter 10. Thank you for your reviews.

Oh, and sorry if the characters aren't quite the way they were before, I haven't written in them in some time and it takes a while for me to get back into the flow of each character.

Oh and to **Addictedxtoxfanfics** sorry but no go for Rogue/Draco, I'm with you on not being a fan of Rogue and Bobby, but considering the way Draco is developing I have my doubts as to whether he'll be a redeemable character and I don't want Rogue evil. So again sorry!

* * *

It was three in the afternoon on the day of the first Quidditch match of the season, Ravenclaw verse Gryffindor, to the relief of a great number of Hogwarts students, the mutants were witnessing their first Quidditch match ever and they no longer exhausted themselves attempting to explain the game to people who seemed even less likely to understand it then regular muggle-borns

The stands teeming with wizards, witches and mutants shook under the roars of delight and excitement that echoed forth to fill the empty grounds of the school. With so many of the schools residents compacted into the stands of the Quidditch Pitch, only one witch saw the arrival of the blood stained medi-wizards carrying the limp forms of several teenagers.

Only one person saw the group hurry towards the hospital wing, and only one person saw the removal of all but two of those teenage bodies as disheartened wizards departed after their efforts to save the young ones failed.

And only one Madam Pomfrey let tears stream forth as she saw the young mutants die when they were so close to salvation. She cried as the school shook with the cheers of those enthralled by the worthless game being played. _What use was life when those in the bloom of it were stricken and taken?_

Sobbing she closed the curtains to hide the beds that contained the two young ones who were healing. Sealing the doors to the hospital wing, she set off to inform Albus Dumbledore of the fate that had befallen the newest arrivals of the school.

Her tear stained cheeks glistened as she stepped out into the light of day and headed towards the pitch, chilled inside despite the warmth that beat down upon her.

* * *

The whispers had spread through the school by the following morning, that there were new mutants in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Rogue just shrugged them off as she settled next to Bobby at the Gryffindor table.

What did it matter if a few new mutants had been brought in? Their being in the hospital wing just meant that they'd had a bit of trouble in the human world before they were found.

But all the same a slight shiver raced down her spine each time the subject was brought up.

"Harry, that was absolutely incredible" Jubilee declared, dropping into a seat across the table "I mean I know I've already said that, but seriously the way you were flitting around on that broom yesterday…You were just flying circles around everyone else, and that chick on the other team was in tears when you got that golden ball thing -"

"-Snitch" Harry muttered

Jubilee ignored him and just continued to rant about how great the game had been. Though in her defence she wasn't the only one, most of the mutant population was still in an uproar about it.

Rogue couldn't help but smile at the assault most of the quidditch players were under, the mutants interest in the game had been waning until they saw it for themselves, now most of them wanted a shot at it. She herself wouldn't have minded taking a quick little jaunt in the air; _it must be incredible to be able to fly _she thought. Wistfully imagining it.

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Jubilee asked, swivelling her attention towards Bobby and Rogue, evidently having given up pestering Harry.

But before either of them could answer Jubilees eyes flicked up to register what was going on beyond them. "Oh damn" she stated "blonde alert"

Rogue just sighed as Bobby glanced behind them, aside from Jubilees blonde remark, she could see Harry's eyes hardening as he watched Draco Malfoy approach. Aside from having heard pretty much every tale concerning Draco since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, and his fierce distaste for Harry she'd also noticed that Harry closed down when Draco was around him.

Emerald green eyes dulling as they hardened, and voice lowering a pitch or two he spoke in a tone of false cheer "Good Morning Ferret, what brings you to the Gryffindor table today?"

The candles through out the hall began to flicker, subtly but simultaneous even as the air grew stiller.

No one noticed.

In a voice that practically screamed a seething intensity Draco replied "Nothing much Potter" Straining Harry's last name "Just heard the pretty mutant exclaiming her delight at the match yesterday". Almost painfully he pushed Rogue aside to lean across the table and stare down at Jubilee "If you thought he was good, wait until you see the Slytherin Team in action, then there will be something to see…"

Flickering in unison the candles were beginning to cast unsteady shadows across the hall, as they bent and experienced miniature flares.

And still no one noticed

"…Of course if you really want something to see I'd be glad to give a…_private…_demonstration" smirking suggestively while he put a great deal of emphasis on 'private'.

Jubilee leaned closer to Draco from her side of the table with a suggestive smile echoing his that slipped upon her lips. Anyone else would probably have said it was provocative, but Rogue knew her better then that. "And I" Jubilee whispered in a husky tone "Would be glad to give _you" _Now tracing a small figure eight pattern on the back of his hand. "A…"

Draco's eyes were lighting up with the prospect of whatever Jubilee was to say, she brought him in close enough to whisper in his ear.

A whisper that was loud enough for everyone in the immediate area to hear. Jerking back he looked enraged, his eyes screaming out while his face remained carefully composed.

While Draco Malfoy prepared himself to respond, Students throughout the hall finally noticed the candles as their flames flared three or four feet tall and bent as a whole to horizontally face the entrance to the Great Hall.

With silence descending upon the occupants of the hall, an uneasy feeling spread through Rogue as moments ticked by until a good three or so minutes had passed and whispers and murmurs had begun to break out through the hall.

Draco had disappeared back to the Slytherin table and people were beginning to shrug off the candles odd behaviour until they once more exploded in unison and a tidal wave of flame roared through the hall to engulf the halls entrance.

And then with all attention directed towards the inferno that was the entrance to the Great Hall a shadowy figure emerged from the flames, unscathed by the bone charring heat he casually waved towards the teacher's table as the flames crawled away to rejoin the candles that had once held them.

In his wake a teenage girl was revealed, thin, she was maybe five-'ten or five-'eleven, luscious black hair cascaded past her shoulders, highlighting her pale face. Black knee high leathers decorated her feet while fishnet and more leather covered the rest of her.

Rogue was rather taken back by the boldness of what the girl wore, but more then that she was taken back by the figure in front of the girl. In his casual clothes and short un-brushed ashy brown hair, just seeing him again was a delight like she couldn't express; after all it had been nearly eight months since he had vanished with the brotherhood.

She was shocked to say the least, but before she knew it, she was swept up in his arms for a tight and very appreciated hug as he squeezed between her and Bobby.

"John… its good to see you again" Bobby exclaimed with a wide grin claiming his face, which was quickly echoed by Johns. With his entrance made the hall was rapidly returning to a semblance of normality, though more then a few eyes constantly turned towards the new mutant. Including those of the Wolverine.

"You couldn't help the big entrance could you?" Bobby quizzed

"Nope" he replied happily as he drew up some toast "Man I'm hungry" he exclaimed. Glancing back at the girl behind him, John looked at the tightly squeezed group of Gryffindors and yelled out "Hey! Would you mind making some room?"

And as if in a trance more then half of the Gryffindors shoved down to make room for the girl to sit beside him. "She's a little shy," John stated as he casually slipped his arm through the mystery girls as he settled down to eat, the smile he flashed the girl, and her half-hearted scolding look back showed he obviously thought he was being funny.

It also showed her pain and fear, the girl beside Rogue had a fine tremor in her hands which seemed to be easing with Johns touch, but her eyes were barely masking something else, something Rogue couldn't quite decipher.

As John settled into his meal, Rogue couldn't help but also become aware of the tension in him, as if at any moment all out war would break loose. Knowing him better she was also able to see past the arrogant, nonchalant façade that he was projecting. He was grieving.

"Oh…" Looking up from his food as if he'd just remembered something he looked at Bobby and Rogue and said "The names just Pyro now" And with those final words she felt a final shiver creep down her spine, as if some part of fate or destiny had just been sealed.

* * *

Pyro winced as he slumped to the ground with his breakfast; the resident Mutants of Hogwarts had brought him out to sit by the Lake to finish his meal. He kind of had brought on the attention of the masses with his 'little' stunt.

Stretching back he winced again as he pulled on the rapidly forming scar tissue that centred around his torso. _Pushing Magneto out of the way seemed like a good idea at the time, _he thought to himself.

He hoped Magneto was in one piece; the battle had still been raging around them when he passed out

Trying to keep his breathing slow and steady let Pyro appreciate the breeze and the way it was playing along his skin and ruffling his shirt, a shirt that was in dire need of changing as it was coated in dried blood.

Blood that became hideously obvious to his two old friends when he carefully shrugged off his jacket. He was kind of surprised to see that there was barely a whole in the shirt itself, just a small slit where the blade had punched through.

"Oh God…" Rogue gasped, "John what happened…" He didn't bother to correct her on the name; she'd eventually get use to the fact that John was dead and Pyro was all that remained.

"The Brotherhood was attacked" he said simply, sooner or later they'd get to asking why he left with Magneto to begin with, but at the moment Bobby and Rogue seemed more concerned with his immediate condition

"Apparently" he began with no traces of humour "Xavier's decision to bring his" almost a seething tone now "_school_ to Hogwarts has dragged the entire mutant world into their damn war, as if we didn't have our own to fight"

"It's not like that John" Rogue said, "Professor Dumbledore invited us here, and this school is a sanctuary for mutants, we're safe here"

He'd never really noticed how strong her coy little accent could be, or how annoying. He was about to retort with a scathing reply but was saved the trouble.

"His name" Came the low husky, and pissed off, voice of Sync "Is Pyro, John is dead" a little more bluntly then he would have put it, but effective nonetheless. Even more so in drawing all eyes to her.

"And this…Sanctuary" Sneering at the term "Is pointless, a select few, sit here fawned upon and sheltered while thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of others are being hunted and slaughtered" With every word she spoke Pyro could see the other two mutants drawing back slightly, as her _words _impacted as if they were punches.

The light was also growing dimmer as she vented. Pyro couldn't help but think just what a good name she had chosen for herself. Sync. For that was exactly what she was. Life, emotion, light, power everything was just drawn into her, or neutralized around her, he wasn't entirely sure how her gifts worked, but when she chose to be she was…formidable…to say the least.

Reaching out a hand to calm her he got a nasty shock, it felt like Rogues gifts, only intensified a thousand times. The instant she realised what she was doing to him it ceased, leaving him feeling clammy and shivering, the area around the four mutants also sprung back into life, the unnatural stillness that had taken the grass was lifted and light sprung back into the air.

Slipping down beside him she wrapped her arms around him to try and quell his shaking. Until they'd woken in the hospital wing they had barely spoken two words to each other since they had become members of the Brotherhood, but it seemed as if being the only two members of the brotherhood who hadn't been able to leave the slaughter grounds under their own power had helped them to bond.

"Maybe we should have waited for the old bat to clear me before leaving the hospital?" Pyro suggested, trying to inconspicuously clutch the scar tissue that had just torn and was leaking over his already blood stained t-shirt…

* * *

Pyro woke up back in the Hospital Wing a few hours later, a slight groan attracting the witches attention he was soon sputtering as she forced a half dozen concoctions down his throat.

"If you had only stayed put this morning young man you would not be here now" The plump witch stated, more to herself then him.

"Sorry" he muttered without much enthusiasm, of course he was pleasantly surprised to find the process that had been magically induced the day before was now complete. There was a faint white line across his stomach, but aside from that there was no indication that he had recently been impaled.

She was still attempting to force more potions onto him a half hour later; she had almost pushed him to the point where he going to summon fire from the torches that lined the walls. The flames were actually beginning to twirl in odd patterns until another force nullified them.

"I think he's had enough for the moment Madam Pomfrey" Pyro was more then a little glad to see Sync step forth from the shadows in all her menacing attitude, he had a vague thought that she looked like some kind of a dark goddess, clad in Punk Goth attire with the light retreating from her as she moved to his side.

The witch, Madam Pomfrey he thought Sync had said, seemed to get the idea and backed away.

"Reckon I'm cleared to leave now?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. Sync just smiled at him and pushed his top up enough to reveal the smooth slightly marred skin where a gaping wound had recently been. He shivered slightly as her fish net-gloved hand traced his non-existent injury.

"I'd say you're good to go" And with that she yanked him to his feet and for the second time escorted him from the Hospital Wing.

* * *

The wizard smashed back against the cold stonewall of the dungeons, his nose bleeding freely as he struggled back to his feet. Grim and sweat stained his face, and the robes trailing down his legs were savagely torn, revealing a nasty cut that ran half way down his thigh.

Smiling viciously he slammed a protego-inflicted shield before him, which made an almost fleshy sound as a half dozen spells battered against it.

Jet black hair plastered to his face the wizard screamed a spell in reply as he dodged the shattered remains of his shield, grunting as his battered and bruised body impacted with the stone floors he rolled to his feet to take shelter behind the wreckage of a desk.

Barely pausing for a moment he was on the move again, an array of spells issuing forth from his wand to force the enemy to move. Wincing with every casual movement the dark haired wizard slipped on the dampened floor and struck it hard, it was an accident that was going to cost him dearly as he almost let loose a pained scream when a spell of some variety skidded across his back, slashing deeply, he could feel the new wound bleeding and was thankful for the small mercies, the quick bleeding meant it only felt deep, but was actually a shallow cut.

Rolling out of the path of a foot that slammed into the ground where his chest has been he viciously swiped his wand in a manor that sent a desk hurtling into the assaulting wizard.

The desk shattered on impact and sent the second wizard careening back, in the space of a heart beat he moved across the room knowing his stunt had barely stunned his attacker, with one final and desperate strike he managed to send the enemies wand into the wall and jam his own into the death eaters throat.

The young wizards blazing green eyes stared down into the cold black ones of the "death eater" he had just defeated. Severus Snape… The wizard smiled down at him before offering a hand to help him up.

Sooner or later Harry Potter knew he would have to face Lord Voldemort and either die… or kill him. He didn't intend to die. Summoning Snapes wand back to the Professor, Harry strode/limped across the room and prepared to duel once more…

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: Again I'm really sorry for how long this has taken, but I'm on holidays and should have regular updates now. And also sorry for the way the chapter is, I know its pretty bad, and for people who want more of the Wizard side of things I'll try and get to that. Also not a lot occurred in this chapter, just really bringing in a few characters to up the tension in the school.

Criticism and Comments are always appreciated.

Oh and finally thank you to

Ruffyan

Addictedxtoxfanfics

Slash-a-holic

DKorley

Cinammon – One of my personal favourite writers who I highly recommend people should check out.

ME

Annikaya

Skydragon5290

Sam

ScruffyWes

Some guy

And everyone else who has reviewed by fan fiction.


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